The Voice UK contestant Kyra Smith has revealed she ‘lost her vision’ while performing.
The 20-year-old student from Manchester is one of the semi-finalists who will compete on tonight’s episode for a spot in the final.
After impressing during her Blind Audition, Kyra made it through to the Callbacks after choosing to work with McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones before being selected to move to the next stage.
Before appearing on the show, Kyra was studying a veterinary medicine course and had never performed professionally.
Her progress on the series is even more impressive considering just a year ago she had to learn to sing sitting down after being diagnosed with POTS syndrome (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and now has to use a wheelchair.
Speaking to Metro ahead of the semi-final Kyra spoke about how life-changing being on the show had already been.
Before stepping up to the stage, Kyra said the ‘extent of her experience’ was performing in school talent shows.
After being bed-bound last year, upon encouragement from a friend of her mum’s, she decided to try her luck on the ITV reality series to ‘have something to look forward to’.
Reflecting on how much has changed in a year, she said: ‘I would have laughed in their face if anyone had told me that [I’d be on The Voice]. I was so unwell for so long and I couldn’t leave my house or my bed and so being on The Voice is quite shocking, but quite cool.’
However, after her condition left her trying to figure out how to be able to perform, Kyra admitted the process was ‘really hard’.
On the show she explained it was like ‘being allergic to gravity’.
‘I like to belt so you need a lot of support but it’s quite difficult to figure out where to position and support yourself, but I didn’t have a choice so had throw myself into it,’ she explained.
Suffering nerves is an understandable part of being on a show like this, however for Kyra an increased heart rate can trigger symptoms.
‘If I belt too much, I can sometimes lose my vision, which actually happens in the semi-final,’ she said.
‘It does make things more difficult but I’m also trying to condition myself to get more used to it.’
It’s only been two years since Kyra was diagnosed with her chronic illness, adding that it was ‘still fresh’ so she didn’t feel like she was considered any sort of ‘spokesperson’ as she was still navigating new obstacles herself.
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However, after being flooded with messages of praise and support from The Voice viewers, she did say: ‘It has been mainly really lovely and positive and incredible messages from people with chronic illnesses and disabilities and wheelchair users.’
Despite experiencing ‘imposter syndrome’, Kyra received strong support from the coaching panel – which also features Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am and LeAnn Rimes.
However, what was at first a simple cold nearly spelled disaster in the Callback round.
‘I don’t know if you can tell on my face when they were about to pick who was going through but I was welling up and thought my opportunity was ruined just because I had a cold,’ she said of last week’s episode.
‘It took me out and affected my Pots. It was the worst thing ever.’
Although Kyra’s results in the series will be revealed in coming episodes, she did explain how she now is taking steps to gain experience.
‘It would be insane to win, and you can’t not want to when you’re that close,’ she said.
‘But I actually also applied for a music uni during the show, and I got in and I’m three weeks into studying music in Leeds now.’
‘I would not have changed to music if it wasn’t to The Voice. It is all down to that.’
The Voice UK’s semi-final airs tonight at 8.20pm on ITV1.
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