Frome singer Tom Carpenter on ‘The Voice’

Frome singer Tom Carpenter displayed his talent to over nine million viewers on the popular BBC TV programme ‘The Voice’ on Saturday 17th January.

On the blind auditions Tom performed ‘Suit & Tie’ to Rita Ora, Tom Jones, Will.i.am and Ricky Wilson; and, although none of the judges turned their chair round to take him into the next round, they all had high praise for Frome singer.

Rita Ora said Tom was, “a great singer and a talented inspiration”  and Will.i.am described him as “Freaking awesome…” and Tom Jones said, “You sound great, keep on going.”

After the show Tom said, “It was a big moment for me, performing in front of the judges, all of whom I admire so much, and hearing their great comments after my performance has only encouraged me to continue my career in singing.”

Tom was overwhelmed by the response after the TV programme was aired with his Twitter feed trending as 7th most popular in the world, and messages of support from around the world. He said, “Since the show I am getting inundated with some very exciting offers and I hope this is the start of something big for me.”

Tom is a well known performer in Frome, performing regularly at the Memorial and Merlin theatres and other local venues.

At the age of 12 he was diagnosed with Tourette’s, a neurological condition characterised by a combination of involuntary noises and movements called tics. After his performance on The Voice, Tom told the judges about his condition and how singing had helped him overcome it.

“Singing is the only thing that stops it,” he said. “The only thing I’ve ever known that stops it. That’s why I love singing so much. It takes my mind into a different area.”

Tom’s dad, Andrew, and his wife, Liz were backstage to cheer Tom on.