VETERAN entertainer Richard Stoute wants Barbadians to stop seeing his show through a crooked eye.

Having just completed his 32nd annual show, Stoute said a lot of people still didn't understand the concept of his show.

"The aim of the show is to bring new talent to the fore and to give the children exposure. It's not about making money for me. The important thing is to have the children showcased – it's about showcasing talent," he explained.

Stoute, who was responding to what some people saw as dwindling numbers attending the show, said: "If one person comes to Teen Talent, that's it for me. I want to give the children the chance to be exposed and to make Barbados' talent veins richer, and I have done so. Come on, give me the credit for that, don't talk about two or ten people. It doesn't matter how much are there, the show goes on, and at the end [the finals] that is when people come to see what I have produced for the year," he stated.

Stoute said he was proud of his show and where it had been going over the years.

"It has become an institution. It's not just a singing contest. I have been able to work with the children as individuals, deal with their mindsets and behavioural patterns, the way they carry themselves, the way they speak. It is really an educational programme, apart from singing," he said.

The veteran entertainer said he loved to watch the contestants grow up and progress, like the ones that came before them. "And once I can achieve that, I think I have achieved quite a lot," he added.

"Teen Talent is just the beginning, it is a hurdle to try to get over by starting somewhere, so I think that the show has done exactly what I wanted it to do, and I am extremely happy, because 99 per cent of the entertainment industry came through this forum and that is what I am excited about," he noted.

So popular has the show been that it will be expanding to St Lucia in 2009 under the same name.

by Carol Ann TUDOR