Reformed criminal takes on talent show

6:05pm Tuesday 22nd July 2008

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The organiser of a major talent show is a former convicted criminal who said he is a reformed character.

Nabil Abdul Rashid, 21, founder of Croydon's Got Talent was convicted of fraud in 2006 after a drug importation trial against him collapsed.

"I'm older and wiser now and paid for my mistakes. What I am trying to do with Croydon's got talent is work with youngsters who might be doing these things or thinking about doing them and help them to do something constructive with their lives."

Nabil Abdul Rashid

He was sentenced to three years in prison, spent 15 months behind bars and on his release began to turn his life around.

Mr Abdul Rashid, who found stand-up comedy and now uses his past experiences in his act, decided to create a community-based talent show for Croydon.

It is a way, he said, to give back to the community.

Singers, dancers, poets, comedians and rappers are being called up to take part in the reformed bad-boy's show alongside the Brit School, the Crescent, on Saturday, August 9, to battle it out for a top prize £1,000.

Mr Abdul Rashid said: "I did a lot of things to make money when I was a kid that I knew were bad. I didn't care at the time and I didn't think about what it was I was doing. I found myself in a lot of trouble and that eventually led to me being sent to prison. It was a wake-up call and I realised what I was doing was really dumb.

"I'm older and wiser now and paid for my mistakes. What I am trying to do with Croydon's got talent is work with youngsters who might be doing these things or thinking about doing them and help them to do something constructive with their lives. Life is hard enough already without heaping those sort out troubles on your shoulders."

"What I try and say to these kids is get a job, go to college, do something productive with your time. My show is a way to get kids off the street, even if it's just for a few hours to practice their act but it's time spent doing something good rather than causing trouble."