MANY singers can only dream of performing at The O2 but an Appleton Thorn teen will be doing just that after wowing judges in a national competition.

Olivia Mae Booth has made it through to the final of Open Mic UK and will sing to thousands, including record label bosses and music industry scouts, on Saturday, February 1.

Around 12,000 hopefuls entered the contest to find the best new unsigned talent in the country and Olivia won a coveted place in the grand final at the iconic London arena after conquering her nerves to leave a lasting impression in the north west and midlands round.

The 14-year-old said: “I am very excited to perform at The O2, although I get butterflies when I think about it. The competition has been of a really high standard so far, so I know I will be up against some tough competition. I do suffer very badly from nerves but I try to focus on the few minutes I am on stage to give the best performance I can. It really helps having support in the audience so I love it when my friends and family come to watch and cheer for me.”

As part of the process, Olivia has already won a couple of sessions in a professional recording studio and even if she does not come out on top from the 16 finalists in the under-18s category she will make invaluable contacts at labels like Sony and Universal Music.

Olivia, who attended Bridgewater High before moving to The Hammond School in Chester, said: “Obviously it would be the icing on the cake if I won the competition overall, but I didn’t even think I would get this far so am just overjoyed to be singing on stage at The O2.

“There were more than 10,000 people auditioning from all over the UK this year, so I feel very thankful that I have made the grand final. I will be singing an original song that I have written for the final, so fingers crossed the judges like it.”

The young singer, inspired by Adele, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Lewis Capaldi, added: “After the competition I hope to pursue a singing career. I would love to sing at The Halliwell Jones Stadium before a Warrington Wolves match, so who knows, being in this competition might help me do that one day.

“I am also planning to study at a specialist music college after my GCSEs which will help me with my songwriting and development as an artist.”

Olivia’s mum Gaynor said: “We are very proud of Olivia. She has always suffered with nerves and low confidence and entered the competition just to get some performance experience. She has gone from strength to strength in each round, blossoming as a performer and even receiving a standing ovation from the audience and the judges for her semi-final performance.

“Her voice is really special and we cannot wait to see her take to the stage in London.”