A Scots carer who sailed through to the finals of ITV singing competition Starstruck has told how the show has changed his life in “more ways than one”.
Hamilton lad William Boyle bagged himself a place in the top spot after a powerful Meatloaf performance on Saturday night.
The NHS mental health worker blew judges Shania Twain, Jason Manford, Beverley Knight and Adam Lambert away with his rendition of I Would Do Anything for Love.
The show, hosted by Olly Murs, is a reimagining of Stars in their Eyes which sees teams of singers performing as their favourite stars.
Speaking to the Record, William said: “This has been totally life-changing for me. It has not sunk in yet, to be honest, it has been a mental few days.
“I’ve auditioned for everything in the past; Pop Idol, The Voice, and to be honest, I can’t actually remember applying for Starstruck. It was so long ago.
“But before I knew it I was on zoom calls with producers. It all just happened really, really quick.
“I kept having to remind myself I’m just an average guy from Hamilton.”
The 31-year-old, who is used to singing for elderly residents in care homes, added that he thought he had been pranked when he made the finals.
He continued: “Most of the people I was up against on the show are in the singing business. I only sing in care homes.
“When they said I was going through to the final on Saturday I thought it was a joke. I was blown away.”
He also told how the show has changed his life in more ways than one, after appearing on the programme sparked him to lose nine stone in just 13 weeks.
He added: “The show has given me such a confidence boost. I struggled with my weight and that really impacted me and so many aspects of my life.
“I started a carb-free diet and lost the weight and now I feel like a different person to the one I was a year or so ago.”
But William admitted that the most daunting thing about his bid for stardom so far has been performing in front of his idol, Shania Twain.
He said: “We didn’t get told Shania was going to be a judge straight away. When I found out, I lost my s**t.
“I am a massive Shania fan and I know every single song she has ever sung.
“She is the nicest person ever and whatever happens in this competition, Shania Twain has heard me sing.”
William also teased that there are some surprises to come on the show, but stayed tight-lipped adding: “I can’t tell you what the surprises are.”
Starstruck returns to ITV and ITVX on Saturday March 4, with the final taking place next month.
The winner is set to scoop a massive £50,000.
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