Young singer wows The Voice judges

Jake McKechnie appeared on The Voice Kids UK last weekend, singing his heart out and receiving a standing ovation and from the packed studio audience.

The 12-year-old from Orrell secured his place in the next round and a spot on will.i.am’s team after performing John Legend’s All of Me to a rapturous applause.

The judge, whose real name is William Adams, told Jake he was “pretty awesome”.

He added: “The power you have in your voice is insane. You gave it your all.”

Jake, who has been singing since he was just eight, spoke of the tension before the artist turned his seat around at the very last moment

He told the Post: “It was mad, really. I got to the end and thought no one was going to turn around.

“When he did, I was just like woah!”

Jake’s grandad Mike, who lives with him, also felt the stress as he watched on from backstage.

“I was extremely nervous, and so was he. It was the first time I’d ever seen him nervous, but I was a lot more than him!

“It was just amazing. I felt proud, it was a fantastic moment.”

And it isn’t the first time the rising star has caught the eye of the industry’s big-wigs. Jake came to the attention of mogul Simon Cowell back in 2014 after winning another national talent competition called TeenStar.

The then 10-year-old sang in front of a panel of eminent judges, which resulted in Cowell’s agent expressing interest in Jake and inviting him to sign at future events.

Jake also performed on the continental stage in 2015 when he took part in Romanian show Next Star. Just 11 at the time, he flew all the way to the former communist state and sang a medley of songs - John Newman’s Love Me Again, Get Lucky by Pharrell Williams, and You Got The Love by Florence and the Machine.

The Abraham Guest Academy pupil is yet another talented young Wiganer to have graced TV talent shows. Last year, teenage sensation Olivia Garcia narrowly missed out on a place in the live X Factor finals.

The 16-year-old from Orrell was overlooked by Simon Cowell despite an impressive performance at his luxury home in Malibu, California.

Jake will next appear on The Voice Kids UK on ITV on July 8.