A finalist from The Voice UK has given up on pursuing a music career and returned to his regular job, finding it difficult to succeed in the industry after appearing on the show.
Callum Doignie received guidance from Sir Tom Jones while competing on the ITV show in 2023, and they even shared the stage together during the finale.
After absolutely crushing the competition, he didn’t stop there! Can you believe he actually got to work with Teddy Swims?! It was amazing, and then he formed his own band – Callum and The Pookies! I’ve been following them ever since, of course. They’re just… everything!
Callum, who is from Telford, has gone back to working as a tradesman after facing challenges in the music industry.
Callum posted a video on TikTok on Thursday reflecting on the contrast between performing in the final of The Voice UK alongside Tom Jones and returning to his job as a builder and plasterer. He captioned the video, noting that people don’t often discuss how challenging that transition can be.
The video featured him plastering a wall, and another clip showed Callum wearing a face mask and ear protection as he demolished a wall in a building.
He penned: ‘Back to reality I guess…’
Fans quickly took to the comments and asked Callum if the ‘show offered any mental health support‘.
He acknowledged that ITV provided complimentary therapy for a year following the show, and overall, the experience was amazing.
I often hear from artists who are hesitant to build a team, and this singer was a perfect example. He was told he really needed an agent and a manager, but his immediate reaction was a very relatable ‘That sounds expensive!’ It’s a common concern, especially when you’re just starting out, and it’s important to weigh the costs against the potential benefits.
Someone else advised me to brand myself as ‘the singing plasterer’ – basically, just keep doing my job and singing, and the audience would naturally grow, they said.
Callum noted that some people might not like him singing or using social media while on the job, since he’s being paid to perform a skilled trade.
He explained that it’s hard to sing and broadcast live while working at someone’s house, as not all homeowners would enjoy that.
Even though playing music on his own has been challenging, Callum is still having fun performing with his band and they have gigs scheduled in Birmingham and throughout Shropshire between February and May.
He and his band, The Pookies, started sharing their original songs on streaming services last year, with releases like “Pretend” and “Burned Out.”
It comes after ITV have reportedly pushed back the 14th series of The Voice UK for the second time.
Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe this! They filmed the very first part of the new season – the auditions, obviously! – way back in 2024! Will.i.am, Kelly Rowland, Danny Jones, Sir Tom Jones… they were all there, and Emma Willis was hosting, looking amazing as always. I’m seriously counting down the days until it airs!
Originally, the launch was delayed from last June to the beginning of this year. Now, it’s been pushed back again.
‘ITV have decided to delay airing The Voice until autumn at the earliest,’ a source told The Sun.
Okay, so here’s the inside scoop: there’s going to be a really long gap – over two years! – between when the initial auditions were filmed and when we finally see the live final performances of The Voice. And honestly, a lot of people in the industry are already suggesting that the show might take a break after its next, fourteenth season. It feels like a natural point to reassess things, you know?
‘For now, ITV are insisting the long-awaited series will air, but it isn’t exactly a good look.’
An ITV source told the publication: ‘The Voice UK is in the schedule for this year.’
Daily Mail has contacted ITV for comment.
The Voice last aired in 2023 and Danny and Tom Fletcher led their act, Ava Manning, to victory.
The singer signed a record contract with Universal, won £50,000, and will enjoy a luxurious vacation to Universal Resort in Orlando.
ITV has made significant changes to its TV lineup. Reports indicate that Celebrity Big Brother won’t be on air for the next two years.
The show’s regular version is doing very well, and ITV executives are apparently planning to add an extra week to its fall season, bringing the total to eight weeks of episodes.
According to insiders, the version of the show featuring regular people is much less expensive to make than the celebrity version, which makes it a profitable venture.
ITV also stated they are still dedicated to the show and have many ideas for keeping it interesting, including the possibility of extending its run.
According to a source speaking to The Sun, ITV still considers the show a key part of their reality TV lineup, even though the celebrity version is currently paused.
They continued: ‘So it’s reassuring to see plans like this being on the table.
Fans have been asking for the event to be extended by a week because previous events have shown that the most exciting moments usually happen towards the end.
According to a source, ITV is still very enthusiastic about the show and has many plans to keep it interesting. They’re even considering extending its run.
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2026-02-26 14:38