It’s fair to say it was a rollercoaster of emotions for Daniel Duke on The Voice.

While the guitar-playing folk artist whizzed through to the next round, joining Tom Jones’ team, he watched his twin brother James audition immediately after to a row of unturned chairs.

Daniel Duke who appeared on the voice
(Conor Smylie)

The 24-year-old from Banbridge in Northern Ireland is obviously thrilled to be going through to the battle rounds though. And if you ever wondered just what goes on behind the scenes of the BBC talent show, we got the down low.

So how did it all come about?

“Some people are scouted,” explains the graphic designer, who lives in Edinburgh. “But I applied. I’d never have thought I’d have done a TV talent show… I’m a busker, and people always walked past and said ‘you should be on the X Factor’.

“But The Voice has a lot more integrity than the X Factor… which seems to be like a Victorian freak show these days, it just embarrasses people.”

We guess it’s not straight to the blind audition then?

Daniel and his brother James who also auditioned on The Voice
Daniel and his brother James who also auditioned (Daniel Duke)

“First there’s an acapella audition with about 10 other people in a hotel room. We just went round in a circle, singing in front of an assistant producer and a vocal coach. I felt a bit bad as some people didn’t get through,” he says.

Next there’s a second audition where auditionees can play two songs and, to Daniel’s relief, he was allowed to pick up his guitar this time for his renditions of Kodaline’s All I Want and The Lumineers’ Hey Ho.

“Then I bet my twin brother to audition too.  We write together and James produces some of my songs,” he said. “His music is more rocky than mine, which is folky as well as pop covers that I put a spin on.”

Then comes the nervous wait

The contestants who get a call back are asked to prepare three songs for the next round of auditions in front of a room of people including the music director of The Voice, vocal coaches and other producers. From 30,000 auditionees, just 120 got through to the blind auditions.

“I’ve never really had nerves like that,” Daniel said. “But it was really vindicating.”

Stevie McCrorie kind of stole his big audition song

“I wanted to sing All I Want by Kodaline but Stevie McCrorie (who appeared on the show on January 10) wanted it too, and he drew the long straw,” Daniel said. “But I was happy with The Proclaimers I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). There was never a question about whether or not I would play my guitar.”

Is it all a bit competitive backstage?

It doesn’t sound like it. Alas.

“The best part of the whole thing is jamming with talented, lovely people, all singing our hearts out in a hotel room at 4am, doing things like coming up with a version of Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass.”

The contestants are on lock down backstage in case a coach sees them

Will. I. am and Tom Jones
(PA)

As the whole point of The Voice is that it’s purely about “the voice”, it’s of paramount importance that the coaches don’t accidentally see the contestants faces.

“It was hilarious. There were toilet runs and we were on lock down if a  coach was out and about,” Daniel laughed.

How scary is it walking onto the blind audition stage?

“It was dead silent. I could hear my heartbeat and my breath,” Daniel said. “You’re briefed so many times before you go on though. When you do a gig at a pub there’s no one reminding you to ‘walk to the front of the stage, pick up your guitar’, you just don’t really think about it!”

As expected, there’s a load of waiting around during the long 11 hour day of filming before finally taking your place in front of the back of four chairs and a studio crowd.

So, did he know who he was going to pick?

 Sir Tom Jones during BBC1 talent show the voice
(Guy Levy/Wall To Wall/BBC/PA)

“Tom Jones, it’s Tom Jones – he’s the man!” Daniel said. “There are four extremely talented people in those seats, they each focus on different parts of their career, but Tom is the best all-rounder, he understands a wide genre of music. Rita Ora is just about as fresh as it gets right now, everything Will.I.Am touches turns to gold and Ricky writes great songs. But Tom Jones is into folk.”

With three coaches turning right at the last minute Daniel had his pick.

“As I strummed the last chord I thought ‘oh well, it was nice to play’ then three of them turned at once,” he said. “I thought ‘this is mental’. They all said some really nice stuff and gave really good pitches so it took me a little while to pick. But Will.I.Am asked who I’d had in mind before the audition, so I said Tom.”

Meanwhile his twin went home empty handed

“If only one of us went through, I would rather it to have been him. We hadn’t really thought about how grim it would be if only one of us did,” Daniel said. “The night after the blind auditions our friends and family were stuck in an odd limbo of being happy for me and commiserating for Jamie.”

So how much time do the contestants really get with their coaches?

ir Tom Jones during BBC1 talent show The Voice.
(Guy Levy/Wall To Wall/BBC/PA)

“Not a lot but enough to get some feedback. Tom telephoned before I played for him for the first time for the next round. It was surreal but amazing as he went through the lyrics with me at the piano.

“He’s so down to earth and talks to you like you’re best mates,” Daniel said. “There’s more influence from the coaches than I expected.”

Could it be time for The Voice to have an impact on the charts?

“People on the Voice do better afterwards than everyone thinks,” Daniel said. “There are some amazing people on this year’s show. I imagine this will be the year that The Voice produces a star.”

And if you liked Daniel’s audition…

Find out more here and check out his soundcloud.