A singing star from Old Bonhill has impressed judges on hit TV show The Voice Kids.
Jack Mullen, 14, a pupil at Vale of Leven Academy and singing partner Evie McColgan, 13, from Clydebank caught the eye of scouts for the talent show last year - just days after teaming up for their first duet.
And Jack’s proud mum Charlene explained how they ended up getting to the blind audition stages.
She said: “Jack had only started singing last June, and Des McFarlane from Singer Station was helping him put together a CD of his songs to help his confidence when Evie had been in the studio the day before.
“Des thought when he heard Jack sing that him and Evie would work well as a duet.
“A scout from The Voice heard them together and got in touch with, to ask them down to Manchester for an audition.
“He had literally only just met Evie, so to get the opportunity to go down there and do something like The Voice after such a short space of time was just crazy.
Getting to the blind auditions was a particular achievement for Jack, who previously didn’t have the confidence to sing in front of an audience, with Charlene now hopeful that impressing stars including will.i.am and Pixie Lott will help boost his self belief.
She added: “He didn’t have the confidence to sing in front of anyone previously, and his only performance before this was at his old primary school a month before.
“This was massive for Jack, and for Evie - because obviously they hadn’t been singing for long together, so it was amazing that they’d even got to go and audition to start with.
“They got amazing feedback from the judges, they didn’t get a turn but they couldn’t have done anymore.
“The producers loved the harmonies and said that finding anyone with harmonies like they had was difficult to find.
“The feedback is lovely and everyone was really nice to them.
“Although they didn’t get a turn it’s made Jack believe in himself a whole lot more. It’s given him a belief that he can make it.”
And that additional confidence saw Jack and Evie make it to the final of a prestigious talent show - before lockdown put their hopes of winning on hold.
Charlene added: “They both entered a talented competition called Linlithgow Rose together; Michelle McManus and Susan Boyle are some of the people who have entered it before.
“Their experience on The Voice helped them believe in themselves a bit more that they could do it
“They went there and made it to the semi-finals, and a week before lockdown they won a place in the final - but obviously it’s been postponed just now.
“The talent they were up against was amazing, so to get to the final of that is incredible because they were up against such tough competition.”
