Welsh singer reaches UK chart heights as former teacher shares memories from school
Amelia Jones
A Welsh singer-songwriter who once impressed teachers with his singing and street dancing at school is now enjoying major chart success, with his latest hit reaching number three in the UK.
Jamie Miller, who grew up in Cardiff and attended Corpus Christi Catholic High School, has seen his song Babydoll become a hit, fuelled by its popularity online and a viral dance trend on TikTok.
But according to his former music teacher Natasha Evans, his talent and determination were clear long before his latest success.
Ms Evans, who teaches at Corpus Christi, shared her memories of Jamie during an appearance on BBC Cymru Wales, recalling how he stood out from the moment he arrived at the school in Year 7.
She said: “I mean, since Year 7, he was absolutely incredible. When he first walked into school, we used to do a talent show every year where we put all of the Year 11s in charge of a group kind of similar to The Voice.
“And they all wanted Jamie in their group all of the Year 11s when he first walked in.”
“He was just so lovable. He was so cute and dancing incredibly then. He was really into street dance and he was an amazing dancer.
And then suddenly The Voice appears and we were, yeah, we were blown away.”
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Jamie first came to wider public attention in 2017 when he competed on ITV singing competition The Voice UK. Aged 19, he joined Jennifer Hudson’s team after his blind audition and went on to finish in third place in the series.
His appearance on the show marked an important step in his musical career, but success did not happen overnight. He continued developing his sound and building an audience, eventually releasing music that reached listeners around the world.
His 2021 single Here’s Your Perfect became a major streaming hit, helping establish him as an international artist. He has since released further music, toured internationally and continued to grow his following.
Now, Babydoll has brought him another wave of attention, with the track climbing the UK charts as listeners embrace it online.
For Ms Evans, the success comes as little surprise. She also praised Jamie’s work ethic, saying he had worked hard throughout the decade since his appearance on The Voice.
She said: “The last 10 years, Jamie’s worked so hard since The Voice. He really has. I mean, at school he enjoyed school, but it was all about performing. It was all about singing and dancing. That’s all he ever wanted to do, really.”
You can see the full video here.
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