A talented performer who recently graced television screens up and down the country in a Channel 4 talent competition has made it through to the regional finals of Open Mic UK.
Siobhan Masih (24), of Reedyford Road, Nelson, will be in the spotlight again on Sunday as she sings live to an audience at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music.
The former Colne Primet High School student flew through her last round of the popular contest, which is the the biggest search for unsigned talent in the UK, by wow-ing judges with a Natalie Imbruglia classic.
A fan of Beyonce and Whitney Houston, the R&B, soul and pop singer now hopes to land herself a coveted spot in the national finals, where she can battle it out for £5,000 to spend on pursuing her musical career.
Siobhan, who works at Farmfoods in Colne, said: “This is a step forward for me, and a great experience.
“I have never really taken singing lessons, just practised myself. I got into singing as my dad used to listen to a lot of music, reggae and R&B, and I used to listen and just sing along.
“My friends and family are coming along to the regional finals - they are really proud.”
Open Mic UK travels the country every year in search for the country’s best singers, singer-songwriters, rappers and vocalists of all genres performing either covers or their own original material.
The competition is run by Future Music, the company behind the discovery of artists such as Warner Music’s Birdy, Luke Friend and Columbia Record’s Lucy Spraggan.
Siobhan hopes to leave the crowds as impressed as she did during her recent appearance on The Singer Takes It All, hosted by Alan Carr.
The former Nelson and Colne College student, who has appeared on Waterloo Road and done charity work throughout the borough, managed to earn herself a gold rating on the show and even caught the attention of Take Me Out host Paddy McGuinness.
She said: “It was overwhelming and nerve-wracking, but I got a lot of experience from it.”
Tickets for the Open Mic UK regional final are priced at £8.
They can be purchased from the Open Mic UK website or on the door subject to availability.
