A singer who began her career as a teenager busking on the streets of Cardiff has been crowned winner of The Voice UK. Cate McHugh, from Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan, appeared stunned when she heard her name announced on the ITV show, telling viewers "I did it" when asked how she was feeling. The performer, who has a degenerative sight condition which has left her registered blind, was given a congratulatory hug by her coach Sir Tom Jones on his final appearance on the show after previously announcing he had been "fired".
Speaking after the show, McHugh, 31, said: "I won The Voice! I'm entirely gobsmacked and absolutely haven't fully processed this information just yet." Footage shared by McHugh on social media showed her laughing and smiling with family and friends screaming in delight as they celebrated her victory at a watch party in Cardiff. McHugh's prizes include a £50,000 cash prize and a recording contract, with her first ever single, a cover of The Beatles classic Blackbird, now released.
Posting on social media, she said: "From the bottom of my heart I want to say THANK YOU for following my journey, and joining my world! This is where it's going to REALLY get fun!" In an interview with BBC Radio Wales Breakfast in September, McHugh said being chosen to be on Team Tom at the blind audition on The Voice UK was "absolutely undescribable". Her rendition of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars song Die With A Smile prompted Sir Tom to hit the button to turn his chair around after hearing her.
McHugh said she began singing "before I was talking" and started singing lessons aged six, turning professional when she was about 15. At 22 she was diagnosed with degenerative sight condition Stargardt disease during her second year at music school and is registered blind. As it affects the centre of her vision, it meant the singer was not sure if anyone had turned around at her audition until she heard Sir Tom's voice, she added.
"I just waited because I didn't know that anything had happened and then Tom Jones started talking," McHugh said. She said her "fantastic mother" has the same condition and has been an inspiration to her over the years, "working around anything that might be affecting her physically or mentally". McHugh said when she phoned her parents to tell them she was on Team Tom "there was this massive roar".
McHugh performed a duet of John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads during the final. Some of her family members could be seen celebrating in the audience during the show. It was also a poignant night for Sir Tom as he made his final appearance on the show, having been a coach on and off since it first aired in 2012.
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