A Burlesque singer thrown into the public limelight in a popular prime-time show is now hoping to try her hand at radio.
Kiki de Ville lost her place in The Voice, when mentor will.i.am chose his other act James Byron during the battle rounds.
But the 40-year-old, who is originally from Melbourne, is determined not to give up – expressing a desire to turn to the airwaves or even launch her own television show.
The West Craven performer, who is now backing Sophie Williams to win the BBC competition, said: “Radio is more achievable at the moment, but if I could I would like to do a Kiki de Ville show – it would be so much fun, and would bring good old fashioned variety back to TV.”
For Kiki, there were three reasons why she took the courage to apply for this year’s contest.
One was to accelerate her career in vintage and burlesque, another was to help her singing classes at Nelson’s Sanderson’s Dance and Fitness grow, and the most important reason of them all was to try and become a patron for the charity closest to her heart – Derian House.
Her aim was to raise as much awareness as possible, after her son Dexter died in 2007 after being diagnosed with the rare congenital disorder Zellweger Syndrome.
The talented vocalist, who has plenty of performances lined up throughout East Lancashire and at London Burlesque Festival, said: “For me it is about using the platform to raise awareness as much as I can. People don’t want to talk about children’s hospices, but about only about 9% of funding comes from the government, in comparison to adult hospices that get about 50%.
“I am vocally confident, and I can put on a great show, but like everybody else I have some vulnerabilities. It is nice that people can see me as confident, but it is even nicer when they see I am like everybody else.
“I always said that I wanted to make sure Dexter’s death didn’t define me but made me into the character I am instead. I live every day in his memory, and as his mother it is about making sure his memory is kept alive.”
Having filmed The Voice at the back end of last year, Kiki is now looking forward to seeing who goes on to be crowned champion.
She described her experience as “just incredible”, selecting the pampering as just one of her highlights, and reflected on the terrifying wait she had to endure when will.i.am was making the choice of whether to put her or James through to the knockout rounds.
She said: “You are really putting yourself out there, you are taking a big risk on such a public platform and you don’t know how you’re going to come across.
“For me it was reassuring that Will took so long, as it showed the decision was difficult for him. He was visibly upset.
“When we went on a social with him, he went around the room and said what he liked about everybody, and he got to me and said that he remembered the day he met Lady Gaga because of her branding, where she was from, and her whole personality. And he said he would remember the day he met Kiki for the same reasons.”
For more information visit www.kikideville.com
