Millions of people have heard Lauren Allred’s voice. The former Utahn provided powerful vocals behind the hit song “Never Enough” from “The Greatest Showman.”
But, as Allred witnessed when she competed on the 2022 season of “Britain’s Got Talent,” very few people know her face.
That’s because it was “Mission: Impossible.” — The Deseret News previously reported that Rogue Nation star Rebecca Ferguson, who stars alongside Hugh Jackman in the film, lip-synced Allred’s vocals on the powerful song.
“I sang one of the biggest songs of all time,” “Britain’s Got Talent” judge Simon Cowell told Allred, who grew up in Utah and graduated from Cottonwood High School. “Why didn’t you get that big a deal after the song?”
“I was more comfortable singing backstage,” Allred answered during this audition, which has received 64 million views on YouTube. “But I feel like the song was meant for me, and I’m ready to put a face to the song. So I’m here to do it.”
Now, a year and a half after being a finalist on “Britain’s Got Talent,” Allred is once again competing in the “Got Talent” franchise.
This time she is looking for a win.
Lauren Allred competes on America’s Got Talent: Fantasy League
Allred competes in “AGT: Fantasy League,” where each of the show’s four judges — Cowell, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel — have each drafted their dream team of 10 “AGT” acts over the years. Allred was selected for Cowell’s team, and made her “Fantasy League” debut Monday night.
In her audition clip, which has now racked up more than a million views on YouTube, the Brooklyn-based singer recalled being a 24-year-old waitress when she met the songwriters for “The Greatest Showman,” who asked her to come along. And sing the demo of “Never Enough.”
“I was so excited to have my voice in the movie,” Allred said in her audition clip, which aired on NBC Monday night. “I felt very proud, because people were hearing my voice and this is what I dreamed of.”
The Deseret News reported that Allred received full credit on the soundtrack for “The Greatest Showman.” The singer said Ferguson was “very generous and vocal in praising her work.”
But over the years, Allred realized that too few people knew she was the voice behind “Never Enough” — and she wanted that to change. So she started competing on Britain’s Got Talent, which she said was the “scariest thing” for her. In her first appearance on the show, she received the Golden Buzzer and immediately advanced to the semifinals of the show, the Deseret News reported.
“I felt validated,” Allred said emotionally. “It was truly a dream come true.”
Allred performed “Never Enough” again, but brought an updated version to the “AGT: Fantasy League” stage. The 34-year-old singer said she wants to be on Broadway and release her own albums, and she hopes this new show will help her get there.
And based on the reactions of the show’s judges and audience, Allred is moving in the right direction.
“I mean, how lucky we all are right now to be witnessing this live in front of our eyes,” Klum said. “It was so beautiful.”
“That was honestly amazing,” Cowell added, noting that he thought Allred deserved a big break. “And to have that moment almost taken away from you and no one knows it’s you, and now to have the courage to come back on this show and tell America ‘this is me,’ it’s pretty special.”
Allred was one of five acts from Monday night’s episode to advance to the semi-finals, where a total of 20 acts will compete for a spot in the finale. Other work presented Monday night included:
- Chapel Hart.
- Inkh erden.
- Drum pack.
- Yu Hoojin.
Sophie Doucy received the golden buzzer to advance straight to the finish.
The top 10 works will finally compete on February 12, and the winner will receive the grand prize of $250,000 on February 19.
More about Lauren Allred
Allred is no stranger to reality competition shows. Aside from “BGT” and “Fantasy League,” the singer appeared on “The Voice” in 2012 and fell under coach Adam Levine. She described her time on the show as “mentally exhausting,” according to the Deseret News.
“It was an amazing experience, but for an introvert, it was just so anxious all the time,” Allred said, adding how producers told her she wasn’t acting bubbly enough or didn’t think she fit the character they wanted. He had her in mind.
“BGT” was a different story.
“Being on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and seeing the response, just from my audition, compared to when I was 10 years ago on ‘The Voice’, was just a complete transformation and a complete difference. Allred previously told the Radio Times. “It’s really positive.”
In 2019, Allred recorded a duet with Michael Bublé and performed on select dates during Andrea Bocelli’s 2021 North American tour, the Deseret News reported. Following the success of her song “BGT”, Allred released her single “Last Thing I’ll Ever Need”.