Shania Twain goes ‘gonzo’ for B.C.’s Darby Mills on new season of Canada’s Got Talent​on March 24, 2025 at 1:00 pm

When: Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
Where: CityTV (streaming on Citytv+)

When B.C. contestants perform on a new season of Canada’s Got Talent, one of the people they’ll have to impress is none other than Canadian country-pop queen Shania Twain.

“Canada has always been a country full of talented creatives,” Twain said in a statement.

“We have such a long and varied history rich with artists, writers, song writers and performers of all kinds. The talent has always been of a high calibre and being involved in a show that might uncover a hidden talent is a huge thrill.

“This season IS full of surprises, unforgettable moments of laughter, charm, amazement and quite a few tear-jerking moments too!”

Twain shares judging duties with Howie Mandel, Kardinal Offishall and comedian Katherine Ryan. Singer Lindsay Ell hosts. All told, 105 acts from coast-to-coast compete for $1 million.

B.C.-based performers include singer Carsim Birmingham, animal act Mel & Bugsy, comedian Ryan Williams, variety act Imogen, dance troupe Two Four Seven — and Darby Mills.

Fans of Canadian hard-rock will recognize Mills from the Headpins, a fixture on the national music scene since the late ’70s. She sang lead in the B.C.-based band from 1981 until 1985 and from 1994-2016. The Okanagan-based 65-year-old now fronts her own group, the Darby Mills Project, and is readying what she calls a “rockumentary” called True Story for release.

“It was kind of a dare,” said Mills of her appearance on Canada’s Got Talent.

“A lady I work with in my touring band submitted my name, and the producers sounded really excited to have you there. It’s not something I ever thought that I would do.”

A trailblazer in her own right, Mills says that she was “shocked and surprised” that Twain recognized her.

“She went absolutely gonzo. I did not expect that reaction from Shania Twain. She was very kind. Howie was very kind.”

Although the show can be an important stepping-stone for performers in the early stages of their career, CGT also welcomes more established acts. Last year, B.C. singer/songwriter Daniel Powter appeared on the show, singing his 2005 hit Bad Day.

“I did say that I wasn’t really comfortable doing this, because I thought it was a place for new talent,” said Mills. “But the producers were quite adamant about having me take part.”

Unlike Mills, 14-year-old Blake Aleong is only a couple of years into his career.

He was six when his interest in magic was piqued by an encounter with a Las Vegas street magician. From that moment on, the Burnaby kid was hooked.

“I wanted to learn as much as possible,” said Aleong.

“I would ask people if something just based on my own ideas looked good. I was experimenting on strangers, on family members. Once you have a trick in mind you refine it and perform it as much as possible until you have a piece that you can put in your repertoire.”