Sam makes it to last six

'Flattering and a little bit mad' was how TV host Graham Norton described the moves by the Department of Tourism and Leisure to rename the Isle of Man the 'Isle of Sam'.

This evening Laxey’s Samantha Barks once again claimed an automatic place in the next round of 'I’d Do Anything', the BBC reality show trying to find stars for a West End production of Oliver.

Last night, she performed Sway, made famous by Ben E King, Dean Martin and more recently the Pussycat Dolls.

But as well as praise for her performance, there were a few raised eyebrows when the Island’s renaming was mentioned (audio file attached):

Samantha is now one of six remaining contestants for the role of Nancy.