The "next Susan Boyle", how many times have you heard that? This week the British press was full of that with regards to Mary Byrne from Dublin, a 50-year-old supermarket check-out clerk whose audition for Simon Cowell & friends was scheduled for tonight.

Well, I just watched Mary's audition for the British X-Factor and the truth is I'd rather watch and listen to Mary {photograph} over Susan Boyle any day. Is she a better singer? I don't know, but based on this one 3 minute song Mary is a much better performer than Susan Boyle.

Maybe this will irk or even anger a few of you, but I find it very hard to watch Susan Boyle. Can she sing? Sure, but to me there's always something missing from her performances. I find it even more glaring when I watch her. I couldn't tell you what it is exactly, but I just don't enjoy watching Susan Boyle perform.

For that reason I think Mary has a right to feel aggrieved any time someone calls her the "next Susan Boyle." The contest has a long way to run and maybe it won't work out for Mary as it has for Susan Boyle - no riches, no fame, no tabloid pressures - but regardless Mary has the right to think the world of herself right now.

For a woman of that age, from a working class background and who admits to having a "low self esteem" to put on the show she did tonight was amazing. I hope she goes on to great success on the X-Factor, but whether she wins or not becomes rich and famous or not doesn't matter to me. As far as I'm concerned Susan Boyle should be so lucky.