A supermarket worker from Homerton will trade stacking shelves for the spotlight this weekend in a bid to secure a place on the live shows of The Voice.
Theo Llewellyn, who works night shifts at Sainsbury’s in Dalston, is one of 22 singers left in the BBC reality singing competition.
“The whole experience has been absolutely crazy”, he told Hackney Post.
“One night I’m stuck behind the check-out packing people’s veg and cheese. The next I’m on stage with four celebrity judges singing to millions of people on TV.”
The 27-year old, who is being mentored by former Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am, also teaches singing and dancing to children in the borough.
Mr Llewellyn will take to the stage on Saturday in the knock-out rounds of the competition, when the remaining contestants will be whittled down further. The final 12 will eventually face the public vote in live stage shows.
“I’m really looking forward to this weekend, I’ll be performing a cover of Photograph by Ed Sheeran but I’ve put a little twist on it to add some more soul. That’s what I’m all about,” he said.
Theo Llewellyn’s progress so far
The singer progressed through the previous round thanks to an emotional rendition of This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush, which reduced the panel of celebrity judges to tears.
“I didn’t realise it would have the impact it did, the response was amazing. I’m just a regular guy from Hackney but I’ve made Paloma Faith and Boy George cry on TV. It’s crazy,” he said.
Mr Llewellyn said he is enjoying working under the tutelage of Will.i.am: “Will is great. He thinks like no other person on this planet. He’s very hands on and is always open to your own input and approach.”
The father-of-two is not the only Hackney singer to have made an appearance on this series of The Voice. Hoxton teenager Kagan Fage-Burgin also made it through to the battle rounds but was eliminated from the competition last weekend.
“I actually used to teach Kagan to sing so it’s amazing we both ended up on the show together. He has always been an great performer,” said Mr Llewellyn.
The singers met two years ago at a summer programme at the Hackney Empire, where Mr Llewellyn teaches performing arts to young people in the borough.
“I’ll be returning to the Empire this weekend to watch a show put on by some of the children I’ve coached. It’s all about inspiring the next generation and giving back to the people of Hackney.”
A career change beckons?
Mr Llewellyn said the children he teaches have been following his progess closely.
“They’ve been coming up to me like ‘Oh my god, we saw you with Will.I.Am!’ and they keep asking me to talk about them on TV,” he said.
“Obviously, I’d like to give up working in Sainsbury’s but I’m never going to give up the teaching. As well as doing what I love to do which is perform, I’ll keep working with the kids so they have someone to look up to. I’m not going to just leave them in the lurch.”
The singer is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Hackney-born Jermain Jackson, who won the competition two years ago, and credited the borough’s tight-knit culture for it’s history of producing musical stars.
“Everyone in Hackney embraces each-other and it’s a very cultural place, which is why we produce so many great singers. It would obviously be amazing to emulate Jermain and go on to win.
But I’m not thinking about that yet. I’ll just do the best I can, and keep performing and showcasing my talent.”
Featured image credit: Lestat (Jan Mehlich) via Wikimedia Commons
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Theo has clearly demonstrated what a true talent and gift he has with such an amazing . His duet with Jordan will be a TV experience never forgotten.
Children are Our Future, superb to hear the commitment Theo has to work with children..
Can’t wait to hear Theo on Sunday evening and his interpretation on the Ed Sheeran song.
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