A FORMER contestant on The Voice is excited to get back into singing after lockdown ends.

Denise Morgan from Darwen previously appeared on The Voice UK in 2012, with coach Sir Tom Jones and got to the battle rounds before losing the vote.

But the now 40-year-old tried her luck again on the Irish version of the show in 2015, as her parents hail from Ireland.

This time, Miss Morgan went all the way to the semi-finals and started getting a lot of work in Ireland after it.

Now, the mum of one is looking forward to be singing virtually for The Voice of Darwen in the next couple of weeks.

She said: “I joined this competition because I thought it would be something different and it’s exciting.

“It’s something else to do and hopefully things will start to open up again soon after this.

“I'm hoping it's third time lucky. My audition video is of me singing one of my own songs called If You Love Me, Say You Love Me and is the song I sung in the blind auditions in the Voice of Ireland which made all four coaches turn around.”

The Voice of Darwen is a virtual singing competition, where the artists must submit videos of their singing for people to vote on.

The performer with the most Facebook likes on Sunday, March 7 will be crowned the winner.

Miss Morgan only moved to Darwen after both shows.

She said: “I had my son when I appeared on the UK show and worked as a content executive.

“I was living in Manchester then and used to attend many gigs around the city.

“It was brilliant being on both shows, you get professional coaching from the likes of people who have worked with Kylie Minogue and I got lots of advice from Sir Tom Jones.

“On the Irish version, I kept having to go back from Manchester to film for the show in Ireland. It was mad, but it was worth it.

Miss Morgan fell in love with the music scene in Darwen.

She said: “It’s brilliant in Darwen, I came to music festivals here with my brother and loved the scene, because they celebrate music.

“In Manchester you cannot really sing your own music but in Darwen I met so many musicians, who will play anything.

“A lot of pubs were interested in having me play and it’s also a great place to bring up my 9-year-old son, Gabriel.”

Miss Morgan has recorded over 40 of her own songs, including The Voice audition song, If You Love Me Say You Love Me, but has been on a break since the pandemic started.

She said: “Obviously, it is difficult, my last gig was on Valentine’s Day in 2020 before the first lockdown started.

“But it is also understandable, and I fully follow the guidelines, but also it is frustrating when all I want to do it get back out there and sing.”

The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to professionally record in the studio at the Darwen School of Music and release their own single.