At just 11 years old, Asanda Jezile walked onto the Britain’s Got Talent stage with a very ambitious song choice.
She had chosen “Diamonds,” Rihanna’s hit single, for her Week 3 audition in the 2013 series.
Then she began to sing.
Asanda’s performance quickly showed that she was not simply relying on her age to make an impression. She brought a polished vocal performance and a confident stage presence to the BGT stage, earning four yes votes from the judges. The official Britain’s Got Talent description praised her performance and described her as shining for Alesha Dixon.
An 11-Year-Old Takes on Rihanna
“Diamonds” is a song strongly associated with Rihanna, which made it an ambitious choice for such a young performer.
Asanda, however, committed to the performance.
Contemporary coverage from 2013 reported that the young singer impressed the judges with her vocals and stage presence. Alesha Dixon praised her voice and compared her to “a little diamond,” while Simon Cowell specifically highlighted her stage presence for an 11-year-old.
The performance therefore stood out for more than simply having a young contestant singing a famous pop song.
Asanda demonstrated confidence and personality while performing in front of the BGT judges and audience.
The Judges Say Yes
By the end of the audition, Asanda had received approval from all four judges.
The official BGT YouTube description confirms that her Rihanna cover “wows all four Judges” and that she received four yes votes.
Alesha Dixon’s reaction was particularly memorable because she connected her comments directly to the song’s title, telling Asanda that she was “like a little diamond.”
Simon Cowell also praised the young singer’s stage presence, according to contemporary coverage of the audition.
For an 11-year-old contestant, making that kind of impression on all four judges was a significant moment in the competition.
More Than Just a Big Voice
One of the most interesting aspects of Asanda’s audition was her stage presence.
The official BGT description calls the performance polished, while contemporary reporting highlighted both her vocal ability and the way she performed on stage.
That combination helped distinguish her audition.
Young singers can attract attention simply because of their age, but Asanda’s performance gave the judges something else to focus on: her ability to command the stage while delivering a recognizable pop song.
Asanda Jezile’s BGT Journey
The audition was only the beginning of Asanda’s 2013 Britain’s Got Talent journey.
She continued through the competition and reached the final of Series 7. Sources documenting her BGT appearances show that she later performed Beyoncé’s “Halo” in the semi-final and “If I Were a Boy” in the final.
Her original “Diamonds” audition, however, remains one of the most recognizable moments from her time on the show.
The official YouTube upload from Britain’s Got Talent was published on April 27, 2013, and has accumulated more than 110 million views as checked today.
That level of long-term viewership shows how strongly the audition has continued to attract viewers online.
Why the Audition Still Stands Out
There is something naturally compelling about watching a very young performer step onto a major talent-show stage and take on a globally recognizable song.
Asanda Jezile did exactly that.
She chose Rihanna’s “Diamonds,” performed it at the age of 11, impressed all four BGT judges, and continued through the competition.
The audition also became an early showcase of the personality and stage presence that would remain part of her BGT journey.
More than a decade after the original broadcast, the performance continues to circulate online and attract new viewers.
And the reason is easy to understand: before the performance even begins, the question is whether an 11-year-old can take on a major Rihanna hit.
Then Asanda starts singing.
Watch Asanda Jezile’s full “Diamonds” audition on YouTube below.
