Bristol singer reaches The Voice UK final

A singer from North Bristol has made it to the finals of The Voice UK.

26-year-old Naomi Johnson built up a small following after performing at weddings and posting singing videos on Instagram. It was here that she was scouted by the ITV team back in 2021 for her powerhouse voice and ability to hit the high notes.

But the road to fame isn’t easy. “It takes a lot longer than you think”, said Naomi, in an interview with Bristol24/7. After being scouted, she was asked if she wanted to audition for a TV show, but was not told what the show would be.

Covid restrictions made the auditioning process even more surreal, as Naomi undertook zoom call after zoom call, until finally, after weeks of zoom auditions, she was asked to go up to Manchester for a live audition in front of the judges.

When will.i.am chose Naomi to join his team on The Voice after her first live audition, it was a particularly special moment for the 26 year old singer.

“When no one initially turned their chairs I kept thinking ‘I’m not getting this’”. But right at the end of her audition, Will turned around. “All my nerves were gone”, said Naomi.

Now, the North Bristol singer has made it to the finals of the show, which pulls in anywhere from four million to seven million viewers each year.

Despite the high pressure environment however, Naomi insists the relationship between contestants was “friendly”, and that they would cheer each other on.

“There was never any bad blood between anyone”, she recalled. Contestants would even go out for drinks together and hang out between shows.

Naomi grew up in a musical family. Her mum and dad were part of a band together at the age of 19. Naomi didn’t begin singing until she was 15 however, when she joined the school choir.

“I was too nervous to sing in front of my family because they were musicians.” Now her parents are her most fierce supporters.

“My dad is my biggest fan,” Naomi chuckled.

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With firm roots in Bristol. Naomi was surprised about the lack of Bristol representation on the show, observing that many contestants from bigger cities such as London and Manchester already knew each other from the music scene.

“I didn’t know anyone and no one knew where Bristol is,” Naomi laughed.

For those interested in hiring Naomi for your own wedding, you’ll have to get in line. The in-demand singer is now fully booked with weddings for the next couple of years.

The Bristol talent has high hopes for her future. “I want to make more of my own music”. Naomi already has two singles out, and hopes to start making money off of her own songs. A new single could be on the cards for as early as December.

The finals of The Voice take place on Saturday evening at 8pm.

Main photo: ITV Plc

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