Appearing on reality singing show, ‘The Voice’, drag performer and creative producer Fatt Butcher wowed the panel of coaches in a fabulous blind audition. Closing out the show on Saturday November 18, Fatt Butcher gained the ultimate accolade when all four coaches – Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am, Anne-Marie, and Olly Murs– turned around, hoping to add the drag performer to their team.
Supported by their friends – Blü Romantic, Alanna Boden, Pork Elizabeth Pie and Nick Blackham (Thrillhaus Designs) in the wings – Fatt Butcher showcased a rendition of Kate Bush’s This Woman’s Work.
Talking to Scene Magazine, Fatt Butcher said: “I think I knew from the offset I wanted to do something by Kate Bush, who I think is one of the greatest voices and writers of our times. Whilst we’re preparing for the show we went through a number of possible options but This Woman’s Work always came out on top, it was meant to be.”
When asked who they were most hoping would turn around, Fatt Butcher said: “Obviously all of them, you want the four chair turn – Tom Jones is a legend naturally, so I guess that was in my mind, but also I was excited about the idea of what will.i.am might suggest from a producer’s perspective. More than anything I just wanted SOMEONE to turn.”
“I’ve got nobody like you on my team,” said Tom Jones, as he delivered his bid for Fatt Butcher to join his team, “You have an incredible voice. For me it’s the most important thing and the way you deliver the song is tremendous. I would love you to come on my team.”
“I think that you just need to be heard for your voice, I think beyond who you are right now and what you look like and what you show in this way, your voice is beautiful,” added Anne-Marie, “I think that’s the reason we all turned. I turned so quickly because I could just hear every note was perfect. No one’s got anyone like you, I would love you on my team, I think you’re incredible.”
“I wasn’t expecting four of you to turn around so I’m a bit overwhelmed,” admitted Fatt Butcher during the show, adding to Scene later that it felt “correct!”
Explaining how they came to choose Team Tom, Fatt Butcher said: “Someone backstage said to me beforehand ‘you’ll get a feeling and you’ll know who feels right’. When the judges were talking to me (which goes on much longer than they can show on TV) Tom just seemed to connect emotionally the most to it.”
Talking about why they chose to audition this year, they added: “Well I’ve been making the same jokes about when I was cut from Britain’s Got Talent for almost two years, so I needed new material. Also, I think we’re approaching a bit of a new era for Fatt Butcher, and I want to start making music a bit more seriously. So, this felt like the ideal way to launch that.”
In the lead up to World AIDS Day, Fatt Butcher plans to release their version of This Woman’s Work as a charity fundraiser “so I’d love people to support me by buying that.”
What is Fatt Butcher most looking forward to about The Voice experience? “Retiring to a villa in the south of France? Collaborating with Liza Minnelli? Who knows… the possibilities are endless,” but what we do know is that Birmingham will be supporting Team Tom.