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Welsh singer Cate McHugh, who recently won The Voice UK, revealed that her musical journey began in her teenage years when she decided she wanted to be “Taylor Swift” after receiving a guitar. She started out by busking on the streets of Cardiff, honing her craft in front of passersby. McHugh, originally from Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan, was mentored throughout the competition by Sir Tom Jones, whom she described as “the legend.”
Throughout the show, McHugh found Sir Tom Jones to be incredibly warm and encouraging, making her feel as if she had known him for years. Early guidance from her mentor emphasized the importance of focusing on the story behind each song. When nerves took over during practice sessions, Sir Tom would remind her, “nope, what’s the story?”, encouraging her to “stay true” to the song’s message. She treasured the strong and comfortable connection they shared, calling it “just an honour to be in his presence.”
McHugh also shared her personal experience dealing with sight loss at the age of 22 from Stargardt disease, a degenerative condition affecting her vision. This challenge, she said, has only fueled her determination to succeed. Music has always served as an emotional outlet for her, and she finds solace in performing on stage. With the lights down and the audience focused on her, singing allows her to forget about her sight loss as long as she knows the lyrics by heart rather than relying on reading them. She described her blindness as “just a small part of me, it’s not who I am.”
Despite the tendency many people with disabilities feel to minimize themselves so as not to inconvenience others, McHugh has chosen to embrace taking up space and expressing herself fully through music. Currently, she is working on her first original song in a studio, aiming to release it “relatively soon, hopefully, fingers crossed.” Following her win, she celebrated joyfully with friends and family in Cardiff. McHugh has earned a £50,000 cash prize and a recording contract, with her debut single being a cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” now available
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