The 3,500 mile stretch of water between the United States of America and the United Kingdom, the Atlantic Ocean, was no match for the talents and teenage mania that hit the US back in 1963 when that now famous group, The Beatles landed at New York’s John F Kennedy airport amid the screams, faints and general mayhem that followed the fab four everywhere they went.

But back in those heady days of the great new music explosion there was another famous Liverpudlian who neither sought nor gained the fame and fortune of The Beatles in the US, although she was as adored in the UK as much as the four moptop haired boy band, and remains so today.

That lady was Cilla Black. She was seventeen years old, a slim five-feet-five-inches, with bright red hair and dark blue eyes. Her name was Priscilla Maria Veronica White, Cilla to her friends. She was a beat fan who was so determined to break into the new Mersey sound, that had its birth in her home town of Liverpool, that she took a job as a coatroom attendant at The Cavern and made occasional appearances on stage when John Lennon and Paul McCartney were around to observe a talent that between them, and their manager, Brian Epstein, could be developed into a worldwide singing phenomenon.

Cilla soon became famous worldwide for her hit singles “Anyone Who Had A Heart”, “You’re My World”, and “Alfie”. After a successful recording career and a short spell as a comedy actress, she went on to become the highest paid female presenter in British television history in shows such as Blind Date and Surprise, Surprise.

And now, surprise, surprise, Amanda Holden of Britain’s Got Talent fame is being likened to the red haired ‘Liverbird’, Cilla, across that very same 3,500 mile stretch of water. Although, Holden’s talents may lay in a totally different area than those of Cilla’s!

Holden is being touted as the face of the American version of Cilla’s Surprise, Surprise TV show. which set out to fulfill the dreams of ordinary people in a most unsuspecting manner.

Friends and family are sworn to secrecy as Cilla (and now Amanda) put together a series of events that would culminate in the surprise of a life time for, and make, someone’s dream come true. Hence the show’s title, Surprise, Surprise.

Holden with husband Les Dennis

The new show is rumored to have the working title The Wish List, but with Holden at the helm ‘bucket list’ may be a better title as this, until recently, little known and even less liked UK celebrity just wont hold a candle to the charisma, talent and the adoration that has followed Cilla all her life!

Holden with lover, Morrissey

Cilla was an instant success with the Brits back in the Mersey beat days but Holden has blotted her copy book on several occasions in the UK, firstly by indulging in a dalliance with comedy actor Neil Morrissey while married to the much loved UK comedian, Les Dennis. For many years she remained out of the public eye until she made her big comeback as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent.

The American’s, on all accounts have been sucked in by how one TV source describes Holden, ‘She has a lot of warmth, which viewers find appealing, and she can connect with people well. That’s what the Americans like about her.’

Always having been in search of that illusive ‘huge break’ into the world of US celebrity, Holden for her part has commented, ‘When the series ended, (Britain’s Got Talent) they asked if I’d like to come over. I said, “Try to stop me!”’

The American’s just might soon wish they had!