A TEEN singer is warming up her vocal chords for the final of a national singing competition this weekend- two years after she had to drop out of the contest following a nasty scalding accident.
Olivia Irvin won a place in the semi-final of Open Mic UK in 2016 but had to withdraw from the talent contest after she spilled hot water from a steam inhaler on her chest.
She recovered and, having made it to the final this year, the 18-year-old from Spennymoor feels more determined and better prepared than ever.
Loading article content
She said: “I was upset when I couldn’t go to the semis, it was a horrible accident and I had to go to A&E.
“Now I’ve got further in the competition I’m really excited and feel ready for it, I feel like I’m a better singer now.”
Olivia has loved performing since the age of two.
With her old dance school The Joanne Banks Dancers she has been in the cast of pantomimes at Darlington Civic Theatre and won a loft full of trophies.
But about four years ago she decided to concentrate on her singing and has enjoyed success behind the microphone ¬ ¬ ¬- in competitions and performing whenever she can from charity events to supporting North East artist Channy Thompson at the 02 Academy in Newcastle.
She studied for a music diploma at New College Durham and has worked with vocal coaches including Julie Miles of Stocksfield, whom she nicknames Magic Miles.
In December she won Beyond the Lights UK talent competition and landed a prize which will include having a song written for her and released as a single.
She has had to beat more than 9,000 performers to reach this year’s grand final of OpenMic UK, which in previous years has been a platform for recording artists, at the NEC Birmingham on Saturday.
She will get one chance to impress the judges, who are some of the music industry’s leading professionals, with her own acoustic version of Rita Ora’s RIP.
Olivia, who sings pop and RnB and is a fan of Beyonce, said: “I’m quite excited, I’ve never got this far before and I’m the only one from the North East in the 16 to 20 age category so I’m proud already.
“I’m a little nervous but I think some nerves is good, if you aren’t nervous you don’t want something enough.”
People can show their support for Olivia in a public vote by texting OPEN45 to 84222, which costs £1 per text. The votes will count if she makes it to the last three.