Al Takht Al Sharqi out of Arabs Got Talent final race

Gazan teenage band Al Takht AL Sharqi crash out of Arabs Got Talent in shock exit; Moroccan dance act Duo Sora and Tunisian cousins Mohammed and Furat Al Gharbi go to final round.

The members of Al Takht Al Sharqi overcame the odds to compete on Arabs Got Talent but failed to reach the grand finale. Courtesy MBC

The last semi-final of Arabs Got Talent on Saturday night was perhaps the most disappointing of all: worldwide favourites Al Takht Al Sharqi, the teenage band from Gaza, failed to make it through to the final round.

In an introductory montage that was screened before their performance, the young musicians – Reema Ashour, Mahmoud Kehail, Ramzi Alfar, Sarraj Al Sersawi and Ahmad Al Madhoun – said they had been practising hard, with up to three full rehearsals a day.

“For years we used to watch the show, but we never imagined we could be a part of it,” said Ashour.

The teenagers, who are students at Gaza's Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, had failed in three attempts to leave Gaza before they could audition for Arabs Got Talent in Beirut, and became overnight sensations after their audition. A clip of their performance has already been viewed more than 11 million times on YouTube.

Saudi actor and judge Nasser Al Qasabi, who pressed the “Golden Buzz” during the audition that gave them a spot in the semi-finals, said: “The whole world was affected by them, and it’s not about the Golden Buzz. All that the Buzz could do was protect them.”

The band chose De'oro El Mahabeej, a song by Lebanese songstress Fairuz, and again appeared on stage in costumes that paid homage to the kaffiyeh – the ubiquitous Palestinian black-and-white chequered scarf. At the end of their act, Al Madhoun, the band's lead singer, began sobbing and his band members rushed to console him.

But their overall performance left the audience and judges cold.

“I do love you guys, but I was expecting a bit more,” said Lebanese judge Najwa Karam.

Egyptian comedy actor Ahmed Helmy said he tried to make a conscious effort to put their audition out of mind while watching their semi-final performance.

“It’s impossible to do that,” said Helmy to the contestants afterwards. “You guys getting here to take part in the programme was almost impossible, and you are proof that the word ‘impossible’ shouldn’t exist.”

MBC Group director Ali Jaber from Lebanon said: “I am upset that some participants I love are now out.” Backstage, Al Madhoun admitted to being disappointed by the performance. “When I first went on stage I was so afraid, and I wasn’t happy with the judges’ comments,” he said. “But we didn’t expect to perform like this. But I was just so afraid and nervous.”

Moroccan couple Rida and Alison, who go by the name Duo Sora, got the highest number of audience votes. The couple performed an Avatar-inspired act showcasing modern dance, acrobatics and martial arts moves and the costumes were intricately recreated, from the blue body paint to the braided hair.

The second winners of the night were Mohammed and Furat Al Gharbi, cousins from Tunisia who combined gymnastics and trampoline jumps in their performance.

• The final of Arabs Got Talent will air live on March 7on MBC4 at 10pm