[savethekakapo]

Just been on YOUTUBE and read that Bonnie Langford was the only person to attend Lena Zavaroni's funeral from all those who had worked or trained with her. Is this true? Really sad if it is and big credit to Bonnie if it's true.

I followed the link from Susan Boyle (I'm the person who had never seen her audition) and it linked to Lena Zavaroni and wow what a voice.

I'm old enough to remember her on TV and remember her as a little stage brat but seeing her on YOUTUBE it's like I'd remembered it all wrong, the talent is mindblowing and the honesty of her performance of 'Going Nowhere' is heartbreaking. WOW!!!

[Annasette]

Lena Zavaroni was a tragic reminder of the potential consequences of shoving thse kids into the spotlight when they are too young to have the resources to cope with the ups and downs etc. I look at comments made about upsetting kids by rejecting them, and I am left flabbergasted at how that is all that is apparently all that is deemed to be important while the horrifying reality of the record of so many child stars coming to grief is completely ignored.

Of course some people tragically get the likes of anorexia and/or become addicts/alcoholics, mess up their lives generally, anyway. But they are a very small proportion of the population as a whole, whereas it's the reverse for those ill equiped to cope with the vagaries of "fame".