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P&O Cruises Talent of Tomorrow 2024: And the winner is...

Take a look at the incredible moment when Gary Barlow crowned our winner! Thank you to everyone who has followed along this journey and to our other amazing finalists, Ky and Mercy, for giving it their all 👏

4 min 24 Sep 2024

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And the winner is...

Piazza (square) dei Miracoli, the Leaning Tower (Torre Pendente) and the Duomo (Cathedral)

Faith wows Iona

After a whirlwind few weeks, your Talent of Tomorrow winner Faith Simon has made her official P&O Cruises debut with a performance in Iona’s Headliners Theatre, before a packed house of 900 guests.

 

Having spent the day exploring the attractions of Lisbon and Iona, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Hastings met up with music legend Gary Barlow on board before his performance. Waiting backstage as Gary introduced her to the audience, Faith was bursting with energy and pride and, she admits, a few nerves. However, like a true professional, she seized the opportunity to shine and charmed the crowd before delivering a knock-out rendition of her winning original composition, London Mover. She even got the audience singing along to the song’s catchy refrain.

 

The sparkling performance was the culmination of a competition that saw Faith win over the judges at the live auditions at The Academy in Southampton and get Gary’s seal of approval at an exclusive mentoring session at The 710 Club, his live music venue on board.

 

‘I don’t know if Faith needs much help,’ laughed Gary at the suggestion of some pre-performance advice. ‘She’s got the eye, she’s got the wit and she’s got that brilliant song. The crowd’s going to love her.’ 

Watch Faith's journey through the competition...

Faith’s outstanding talent, showstopping performance and unique personality impressed the judges, wowed Gary and stole voters’ hearts.

 

As our Talent of Tomorrow winner, Faith will now get the opportunity to perform live in The 710 Club on Iona and show off her musical skills to the full before a live audience of guests.

 

The young singer-songwriter from Hastings has been on quite a journey since posting her audition tape from her bedroom, and there’s more excitement still to come.

 

Follow the fortunes of 19-year-old Faith as she joins Iona in Lisbon. Will Gary share this special moment with our fabulous Talent of Tomorrow winner? Stay tuned to find out.

...when she met Gary for a mentoring session...

...and Faith's final performance

Get to know Faith

Find out more about the 19-year-old from Hastings, from her favourite band to her first solo.

 

Q. Tell us a bit about your home life.

A: I live with my mum in a house where I’ve lived since I was 18 months old. I have three gorgeous cats – a new kitten called Tornado, Mrs Mittens (my Grandad’s cat, who we took in) and Sequins. I may be a cat person!

 

My Mum has been my rock. She’s given up so much and done so much for me. I love her and cry when I think about what she’s done for me and to raise me. I love spending time with her. I’m a charity shop fiend and we love shopping together. And we watch a lot of TV true crime shows together. Apparently, I used to kick in the womb to the theme tune of CSI.

 

I’m going to be a university student soon, studying musical theatre at Goldsmiths. Three years of singing and music. That’s everything to me. After that, I’d love to do cruises, West End, singing, songwriting… I want to be as versatile as possible.

 

Q. How did you get into music?

A. I’ve always sang and performed. But it all came together when Scouting gang shows gave me a solo when I was 11. I had ‘the cup song’ from Pitch Perfect. There was an adrenalin there that has never gone away. I fell in love with it again and again – and still do. That’s why I love music so much. It never ceases to amaze me how it can make me feel.

 

My Uncle, Logan Wilson, is an amazing songwriter and producer. I’ve always looked up to him, and he’s always helped me with my gigs. His music’s been in the background since I was a kid. My cousins introduced me to harmony so credit to them. I’m so proud he’s my uncle and I hope to work with him in the future on a professional level.

Q. Let’s talk Talent of Tomorrow. What were the auditions like?

A. Taking part in the Talent of Tomorrow competition live auditions was so much fun. It was an amazing opportunity to get to meet the most amazing group of musicians that were all so talented in their own special and individual ways. Honestly, the talent in that room was astronomical. It was just so lovely to sit down and chat and play instruments and talk about our passions.

 

I sang an original song about moving from my home in Hastings to London. I’m going from a small town where I know a lot of people to London. I’m extremely excited, but it’s also bittersweet to leave somewhere that you loved and that’s been such a big part of you.

 

Their feedback was so encouraging. They liked the timbre of my voice and how catchy my song was. If you’re going to write pop music, you’ve got to make it catchy and give people an earworm to sing over and over again. I was very happy that they loved it as much as they did.

 

Q. How did it feel when you were told you were in the top three?

A. Waiting for Dev Griffin to announce the final three was pretty terrifying. I was shaking. I was the last one to be called. When he said my name, I was ecstatic. There were so many feelings at once, and there was sadness that the rest of the talented people didn’t get through. They were all outstanding, and so lovely, so that was hard.

Q. And what about your mentoring session with Gary Barlow?

A. It hasn’t really sunk in yet that I performed for Gary Barlow and that he loved my song. He was so lovely. And I hugged him. I hugged Gary Barlow!

 

It was a mentoring session, but Gary also chatted to me and was interested in me. He stood right at my side and at one point he sang my song. Oh, my lord, I was ecstatic when I saw that. It was an incredible moment for me. It was weird but in such a good way. I was starstruck but I managed to control it while I was talking to him.

 

Q. What sort of advice did he give you?

A. I’m a musician, but I’m a singer, and everything I do when I’m writing or composing supports that. So, his advice on the musical narrative and what makes a better chord progression to bring out more emotion was so valuable. He wanted to add an F to give people a cue we’re going into the chorus. Something to get the stadium singing! That’s something I’ll take away with me and use going forward.

 

He’s given me so much confidence. Everything was running through my mind, but I can’t believe he didn’t really want to change anything – it’s something I’ll be telling my children.