The Voice UK’s most successful winner replaced iconic 80s band’s lead singer-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

A former The Voice UK winner is now the frontman of a 80s band (Picture: PA)

A former winner of The Voice UK who was once in a pop group is now the lead singer of an 80s band.

After deciding to pursue a career in performing when he was a teenager, Kevin Simm formed the indie-pop band AnAlien in 1996.

Three years later he applied for the ITV talent show Stars in Their Eyes, where he appeared as Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene.

Then, in 2001, Kevin auditioned for the series Popstars, where he was one of the finalists.

Although he didn’t win the series, alongside other finalists Tony Lundon, Jessica Taylor, Kelli Young and Michelle Heaton, they formed Liberty X.

Their group signed a multimillion-pound record contract with Richard Branson and V2 Records and released three albums, which featured seven Top 10 singles.

Kevin Simm won The Voice in 2016 (Picture: BBC/ Wall to Wall/ Guy Levy)

But after selling over three million records worldwide, they split up in 2007.

After releasing a solo album the following, Kevin, who is now 44, performed at festivals at pubs before Liberty X reunited six years later for a TV series and tour.

While the group did later re-form, it was as a girl group without the two men.

Although he was offered roles on reality shows like Celebrity Big Brother in the following years, Kevin said he ‘didn’t want to be a celebrity like that’.

‘I don’t want to be a celebrity like that,’ he added. ‘If people know me for my singing and music that’s what I want, and if a bit of fame comes with that that’s great but I wouldn’t want to be famous for going in a house,’ he told Metro in 2016.

Although he did appear on The Games in 2005, Kevin said he simply said yes to that as he had ‘got a bit tubby and it was a good way to lose weight’.

He initially appeared on Popstars in 2001 before forming Liberty X with other finalists (Picture: Nils Jorgensen/ Rex/ Shutterstock)

Last year Kevin spoke about having to turn to a string of jobs out of the spotlight during this time to support his wife Laura and their two children, Charlie and Oliver.

From working as an electrician, a fencer and a wedding photographer between occasional singing gigs, he said ‘it was strange coming out of a big pop group and having to start again’.

“I was singing in pubs and clubs for £150 a gig but there wasn’t a lot of work going around and typically it was only Friday or Saturday night.

‘Then sometimes I’d get a call the night before saying the gig was cancelled and that’s half of your income for the week gone,’ he told The Sun.

After ‘getting frustrated with the insecurity of singing’ Kevin was also told by some people who booked him for gigs they did so thinking ‘it would be hilarious if I was tone-deaf and couldn’t sing’, questioning his abilities after being part of a pop group.

It was in 2016 that Kevin gave singing another go and auditioned for the fifth season of The Voice, where he sung Sia’s Chandelier in his Blind Audition.

The band eventually split up in 2007 (Picture: Nikos Vinieratos/ Rex/ Shutterstock)

All four coaches – will.i.am, Ricky Wilson, Boy George and Paloma Faith – turned their chairs, with Kevin choosing to join Paloma’s team.

Before stepping up to the stage, Kevin had felt ‘frustrated’ and like his music career had gone backwards, however he still had ‘a bit of fight left’.

He thought that even if none of the judges turned, it could have at least opened a few doors.

‘I didn’t want to be famous again, I just wanted a challenge and to bump up my gig money,’ he explained.

Kevin went on to win The Voice as part of Ricky Wilson’s team (Picture: Eamonn M. McCormack/ Getty Images)

After performing songs like Wings by Birdy, Rolling in the Deep by Adele and Stay by Rihanna throughout the competition, he was eventually announced as the winner.

His winner’s single All You Good Friends peaked at number 24 in the UK.

However, at the time he said he didn’t feel significant pressure to chart as ‘people expect so little from a Voice winner’.

He echoed these sentiments last year, saying: ‘It’s not me slagging the show off but how many seasons have gone by, and you’ve never had a winner who has become a successful commercial star? I think they need to change the format.’

He joined Wet Wet Wet in 2018 (Picture: Lorne Thomson/ Redferns)

In 2018 Kevin again joined a band, this time replacing original member Mati Pellow in the soft rock band Wet Wet Wet after one of his new bandmates wife saw him on The Voice.

The Scottish band, who formed in 1982, are best known for their 1994 cover of the Troggs’ 1960s hit Love Is All Around, which was used on the soundtrack to the film Four Weddings and a Funeral and spent 15 weeks at the top of the British charts.

They had also been awarded Best British Newcomer at the 1988 Brit Awards.

Although Kevin has conceded he is ‘not a big name and not in the charts’ he said he was thrilled to have been able to make a living out of singing since leaving school and that all of his hard work had ‘finally paid off’.

The Voice finale airs tonight at 8.10pm on ITV1.

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