31-year-old blind mum Cate McHugh’s life just changed forever, after winning The Voice UK with her soaring take on “Blackbird”. Cate drew every ounce of emotion out of her piano rendition of Paul McCartney’s Beatles masterpiece, all while managing to never oversing. Seeing her 6-year-old daughter Lily and hubby Nathan react live in the moment made it all the more touching. And can we just say this is the perfect way for coach Sir Tom Jones to bow out, and his win makes the decision to fire him seem all the more crazy!
McHugh was all class on her winning performance. It was a very bold choice to sing such a quiet, profound song for her final performance for the competition. But McHugh absolutely pulled it off, in no small part due to her ability to pull on the heartstrings with her authentic delivery. The moment just after the one-minute mark when she belted for the first time on the main hook, getting applause from the crowd, felt like the moment she won the crown. Watching her family and the coaches react with genuine emotion to each special point in McHugh’s rendition was half the fun here.
There’s no doubt that McHugh’s calm, stately delivery came from years of relentless work rather than overnight luck. She started music lessons at age six, busked on Cardiff’s Queen Street as a teenager and honed her craft over five years of singing on cruise ships. She also navigated personal challenges along the way. In a BBC Radio Wales interview, she explained that her sight loss meant she only knew Sir Tom had spun his chair during her audition when she heard his voice.
Jones was famously the sole coach to turn for her opening performance of “Die With a Smile”, sparking an eclectic journey through the rounds. She triumphed with Chuck Berry in the battles and Harry Styles in the semifinals before tackling “Blackbird” in the final. She also shared the stage with Sir Tom for a rollicking duet of John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads”, reflecting her long-standing affection for classic country songwriting.
Online viewers quickly rallied around her final solo, pushing the YouTube clip to 1.7 million views within 48 hours (across multiple uploads). Viewers added comments such as “So much emotion hearing this rendition. Your voice is stunning Cate. All the best to you and your family” and “Brought tears to my eyes. Sir Tom felt it too. Cate your voice is beautiful and you sing from the heart. A worthy winner.”
The win brings McHugh a £50,000 prize and a Universal Music Group contract. She has already issued “Blackbird” as her debut single. It also marks a significant milestone for Sir Tom, handing him his fourth victory across his lengthy tenure as a coach. His latest win also calls into question the wisdom of ITV’s decision to fire him from the show after the season.