A LONGNIDDRY teenager who stunned the judges and audience of ITV talent show The Voice has vowed to continue singing. despite failing to reach the next stage of the competition.
Ciara Harvie, 19, had the audience on their feet after performing opera classic Nessun Dorma at her blind audition, televised on Saturday night.
But despite her amazing performance, none of the four judges turned their chairs round for her.
The show, which moved from the BBC to ITV this year, sees contestants audition while the judges sit with their chairs turned away from them. Only if they like what they hear will they press the buzzer and turn.
In a new twist this series, auditionees who do not get a turn receive no feedback from the judges and have to leave the stage. In the past, the judges always turned after the performance to meet them.
But Ciara’s performance was so startling she became the only person so far who the judges asked to meet.
New judge Gavin Rossdale came close to hitting his button and admitted afterwards he had “dithered”, saying: “I should have turned.”
While veteran judge Tom Jones asked the audience: “Did we make a mistake”.
After Rossdale asked for Ciara to be brought out, he was apologetic about not picking her.
He told the teenager: “I should have turned around; I was dithering and I missed it. You are the only person we didn’t pick that we have brought out to meet.”
Fellow judge Jennifer Hudson took to social media after the show was aired to say: “Such a big voice for someone so young @ciarahmusic! Keep going at it.”
And the fourth judge, Will.i.am, admitted to the audience he thought the judges had made a mistake.
Ciara revealed how she was inspired to try singing after watching a video of someone on the internet. She said: “I saw someone singing on YouTube one day and thought I would give it a try. I recorded myself and gave it to my parents to hear. They asked who it was and I said it was me – they couldn’t believe it.”
The teenager, who was tearful after her rejection, admitted backstage that being brought back to meet the judges had softened the blow. She vowed: “I’m just going to keep singing, I’ll never give up.”
And she was flooded with support on social media by fans who praised her beautiful voice.
Ciara, who describes herself as a classical crossover soprano, told them: “I am completely overwhelmed by the reaction and the support from my audition. Singing is what I love and to be able to have had that amazing opportunity means the world to me.
“Even though I didn’t get a chair turn, the judges asking me back and having their feedback after my audition (which has never happened before) is an honour. I listened to every word they said – they told me to never give up and I certainly won’t.
“Most importantly, I’d like to thank all of my friends, family and lovely people for all of their support and those that have taken the time to message me. I’ve even had tweets from Jennifer Hudson, Tom Jones, Emily Middlemas and Ella Henderson. I am still in shock and think I will be for a while.”
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