Welsh singer Cate McHugh won the final of The Voice UK broadcast on October 31, with Tom Jones as her coach. Her first single is a version of the Beatles’ Blackbird. The victory brings a cash prize and a recording contract after a singing career that began on Cardiff’s streets.
Cate McHugh, a Welsh singer whose career began on the streets of Cardiff, won the television singing competition The Voice UK. The final aired on channel ITV on October 31. Her prizes include 50,000 pounds and a recording contract. Her first single is a version of the Beatles’ Blackbird. In the final she also sang John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads alongside her coach, Tom Jones.[1], [2]
At her blind audition, McHugh performed Die With A Smile by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. Jones turned his chair, but she could not see that and only understood when he spoke. She has Stargardt disease, a degenerative condition affecting central vision. She was diagnosed at 22 during music school. Her mother has the same condition and has been an inspiration to her. Singing lessons began at six; she turned professional at about 15.[1]
McHugh’s family celebrated in the studio, while family and friends gathered at a watch party in Cardiff. Her victory came on Jones’s final appearance as a coach. He had worked with the programme on and off since its start in 2012. In September he announced that ITV had decided against keeping him.[1]
