Sir Tom Jones Sends Off Final Appearance with Win for Blind Singer Cate McHugh on The Voice UK
Cate McHugh, a blind Welsh busker, clinched The Voice UK title as Sir Tom Jones made his last on‑screen appearance.
Cate McHugh was crowned winner of The Voice UK on Saturday night, the ITV talent show announced.
The 31‑year‑old singer from Llantwit Major in the Vale of Glamorgan appeared stunned when her name was read, replying “I did it” when asked how she felt.
McHugh, who began busking on the streets of Cardiff as a teenager, is registered blind after being diagnosed with the degenerative sight condition Stargardt disease at age 22 during her second year at music school.
During the live finale, Sir Tom Jones—making his final appearance on the programme after earlier saying he had been “fired”—hugged the newly crowned champion.
In a post‑show interview, McHugh said, “I won The Voice! I’m entirely gobsmacked and absolutely haven’t fully processed this information just yet.”
Footage she shared on social media showed her laughing, smiling and celebrating with family and friends at a watch party in Cardiff.
Her prize package includes a £50,000 cash award and a recording contract. Her debut single, a cover of The Beatles’ classic “Blackbird”, has already been released.
On social media she wrote, “From the bottom of my heart I want to say THANK YOU for following my journey, and joining my world! This is where it’s going to REALLY get fun!”
Earlier in the series, McHugh’s blind audition of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” prompted Sir Tom Jones to turn his chair, a moment she later described as “absolutely undescribable”.
She told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that she began singing “before I was talking”, started formal lessons at six and turned professional around age 15.
Because her condition affects central vision, she did not realize Sir Tom had turned his chair until she heard his voice, recalling, “I just waited because I didn’t know that anything had happened and then Tom Jones started talking.”
The win marks a poignant close to Sir Tom Jones’s tenure on The Voice UK, capping a season that saw a blind, busking Welsh singer rise to the top.
