SCHEDULE CONFLICT FORCES T.O.K’S CRAIGY-T TO DROP OUT AS JUDGE ON JAMAICA’S “DIGICEL RISING STARS” COMPETITION!

Craigy T—

CRAIGY T, of dancehall quartet T.O.K, will not be a judge on this season’s Digicel Rising Stars due to conflict in his tour schedule.

“Yeah, I’m kinda bummed about not being able to finish the season. I love working with new talent. However, it just couldn’t be avoided. With my schedule coupled with T.O.K’s calendar, I would miss about 10 of the 12 live performance shows. That wouldn’t make sense. So it go,” he said.

T.O.K is scheduled to launch its reality television series on local channel CVM TV and he explained that this adds to a number of projects which conflict with his duties as a Rising Stars judge.

T.O.K.

Craigy T, whose given name is Craig Thompson, has been a judge on the talent show since last season. He had started this season — Season 11 — with the five islandwide auditions from May to June.

Thompson believes he brought a sense of “realness and purity” to the panel of judges on the popular televised talent show.

“I joined the team for the real base reason of wanting to see, help young talent to blossom. Many persons see Anthony [Miller] as the harsh one, Alaine as being lenient, I just wanted to see the talent rise. I felt it was my responsibility to tell them what to do to make them better using my expertise as an artiste and manager,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Digicel Rising Stars producer Sharon Schroeter said the team is disappointed but understands.

“We will definitely miss Craig this season but we understand completely,” she said.

If asked he will return to the show next season Thompson said: “Yeah man!! I would be back without hesitation once my schedule allows it. We are like family, I love working on the show.”

The Digicel Rising Stars producers are to invite weekly guest judges to replace Craigy T. Other judges will be Alaine and Anthony Miller.

The season’s live shows begin tomorrow on TVJ.