On Series 5 of The Voice UK last year, Lydia Lucy reached the Finals finishing in fourth place with her coach will.i.am, and she went on to perform with Black Eyed Peas at numerous events worldwide including at the Royal Albert Hall and Capital FM’s Summertime Ball in London. Continuing with her music career, Lydia has been working on her debut album and planning future concerts, and she has just been on the line-up of the Help for Heroes charity concert with Collabro. We sat down with Lydia before her concert with Help for Heroes to talk about her time in Team Will on The Voice UK, performing around the world and her upcoming debut album.

Last year, you performed on stage at the Royal Albert Hall with Black Eyed Peas, what was this like?

It was a dream come true. I’ve grown up listening to Black Eyed Peas and I love their music so it was just undescribable. I wouldn’t say there are any words that can actually sum up how I felt when I was on stage, just unreal.

You reached the final of last year’s series of The Voice UK in Team Will, and had previously been a contestant on The X Factor, what were your experiences like on each show?

They were different experiences. When I did The X Factor, I was very young and I was just covering songs. I did still have my own style but I would say that it pushed me into being the artist that I am. The Voice was an amazing experience, wouldn’t change it for the world, made some amazing contacts – will.i.am, Paloma Faith, Boy George – and I’m still in contact with them all. The X Factor, everyone’s like ‘oh my god, I’m better than you, oh my god, oh my god’, and The Voice everyone’s like ‘oh my god, you’re amazing’ and support each other.

Are you still in contact with your fellow The Voice UK contestants?

Yeah. I don’t know what it’s like now it’s on ITV, who knows? But when I did it I absolutely loved it and I’m just grateful for the whole experience.

Tonight you are taking part in a Help for Heroes charity concert alongside Collabro, how did you get involved and have you worked with Help for Heroes before?

I’ve done quite a lot for Help for Heroes over the years. I’ve done a lot of events and raised a lot of money. The organiser got in contact with me and asked if I’d like to be a part of it and it’s a great line-up.

Have you had a favourite event you’ve performed at and which country have you enjoyed performing in the most?

Hong Kong was great, but I think my favourite gig was Summertime Ball because it was amazing. Or the UEFA opening in Paris under the Eiffel Tower. It was 100,000 people, absolutely mind-blowing. For somebody that dreamed of that for a long time, you’re standing there and you think ‘oh my god, this is actually happening’. I didn’t know what was going on, to be honest. I thought ‘am I dreaming?’ and then it’s over and you’re like ‘okay, bye’ and you walk off.

We saw you supporting Sam Callahan all those years ago, how do you feel you’ve changed since then and are you still in contact with him?

I’ve changed a lot, just practiced and improved really and also become more of an artist, not just someone who’s covering songs, actually sort of changing songs to make them my own and actually having my own music as well at the same time.

At the end of the day, people grow apart, they don’t necessarily fall out but they lose friendships. I’m sure if we bumped into each other we would say hello. Everybody changes. We were best mates.

If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I’ve actually done a fair few countries now over the last year. I’ve been to Hong Kong, I’ve been to Italy performing, I’m going to Poland, I’ve been everywhere. I went to Jamaica, didn’t perform but I went there and watched some performers. I don’t know, to be honest, because I’ve done all the Wembleys.

We understand you have finished your album, did you write the songs yourself and what kind of music will it be?

Yes, I wrote the whole album with the team I work with, so producer and also a co-writer. It’s futuristic pop I would say, kind of urban pop. Really cool, really original and just really cool beats.

Was it fun to record?

Yeah, it was. It didn’t take a long, long time because we were in twice a week. I just really enjoy the team that I work with, we all really get along well and yes, it’s really good. I can’t wait to put it out there. I perform a few songs sometimes at gigs. Tonight I’m not doing any original material, they specifically asked for certain songs, but at most of my gigs now I chuck in an original or do quite a few.

Who would you love to have a writing session with?

I’d love to have a writing session with Michael Jackson. It would be an incredible experience because it’s completely different but obviously I can’t. I’d say Bruno Mars actually, he’s a cool one, he’s similar to Michael Jackson. Or The Weeknd, they’re both influenced by Michael Jackson heavily so I think they would have similar qualities.

Your brother (Luke White) also sings, would you do a collaboration with him?

We always chat about doing collabs and different bits and bobs, we always have a little jam at home. Who knows? Maybe in the future we might potentially do something, when we eventually get round to it. Everyone always asks. We’re with each other all the time, we’ve not actually sat down and thought ‘let’s do something’ because we’re always passing each other. But who knows, maybe in the future.

Was there anyone that inspired you to be a singer?

My brothers, both of them have always performed, and my grandma and granddad have always sung and they’re my inspirations really but a big, famous inspiration to me would be Michael Jackson.

Can you play any instruments?

I can play the violin very badly. I’d love to play the saxophone. I can play the drums, no I’m joking, I can’t play them… I wish I could!

What music do you enjoy listening to?

Reggae. No, I do like the Rasta Beats actually, I listen to quite a lot of that. I listen to a lot of Kisstory, all the old school garage tunes, I love that when I’m getting ready. I think I’ve got a big range on my iPhone. Musicals I love, Celine Dion I love, even Frank Sinatra I play sometimes. Big, wide variation but if I just got in the car and put on shuffle it’d just be mad, go from Frank Sinatra to… *starts singing*

You’ve previously played at Soccer Six, do you enjoy playing football and how do you manage to play in your high heels?

Yeah, I do actually. I get a bit into it. I don’t know how I manage. I’m just used to it. I don’t really have any flat trainers but recently I’ve invested. I got a pair of flat trainers. My legs sometimes need a rest!

Are there any reality shows like I’m a Celebrity that you would consider taking part in?

I’m a Celebrity! I’d love to go in the jungle. I think a lot of people look at me and think ‘no, she would not do well’ but I think I’d actually surprise people. I think people see a small woman, a child, they look at me and think, ‘oh, she’s small and she’s petite, she couldn’t handle it, she wouldn’t jump out of a plane’, but I am really adventurous and I’m a thrill-seeker, so I would. I would do everything.

What are some of your favourite TV shows and films to watch?

I like Coronation Street. My mum’s got me into it really because she watches it quite a lot but I’m actually quite committed to it now. If I miss it I have to catch up, I have to watch it. But to be fair, the storylines are quite deep on there at the moment, and I’m finding it a bit disturbing, it’s not very nice. I saw a bit of it last night as I was going out and it’s on before 10pm, kids are watching it. Bit too much. But apart from that, I don’t really watch any TV to be honest, I’m always just everywhere in a different country.

Favourite film, I’d say Bridesmaids. I love Melissa McCarthy, I think she’s amazing in anything she’s in. I love all of her films, like The Heat. It’s got Sandra Bullock in it as well and they’re both detectives but they’re complete chalk and cheese. There’s a lot of swearing in it, but she’s this brat, she’s like ‘get away’ and this other one’s like ‘let’s approach things calmly’. It’s so funny. Then they get into this team and they’re fighting crime together and they just work. I love all the films she’s in, but you’ve got to watch Bridesmaids. Hilarious, so funny.

What are your plans for the rest of 2017?

I am gigging in lots of different countries, doing a tour of the world really, just loving it. I’m hoping to release a single, get a video together and just aim for the stars. I’m doing a panto at the end of the year. I’m doing Peter Pan and I’m playing Wendy. I actually think I would have been better as Tinkerbell.

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