Tom Read Wilson, now a star in the I'm a Celebrity jungle, once auditioned for The Voice UK in 2016 but failed to secure a spot. The Celebrity First Dates regular performed 'Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive' on the fifth series of the show, impressing judges will.i.am, Paloma Faith, Boy George, and Ricky Wilson with his dance moves, yet none turned their chairs.
Before his performance, Tom described himself as 'gregarious, irreverent, fun, a little bit naughty, and rather chaotic', adding that he felt like he was 'from another era'. Judge will.i.am later admitted he thought Tom was 85 years old based on his appearance, while Paloma Faith teased that his voice was 'everything' will.i.am expected when he 'arrived in Britain'.
Fans were quick to defend Tom, with one calling his audition 'lovely' and criticising the judges as 'awfully mean and catty'. Another said the judges were 'so wrong to be making fun of him', and a third praised his 'lovely theatre voice' and professional training. A fourth fan expressed admiration for his 'enunciation and voice'.
Despite his rejection, Tom has since performed in the SpongeBob SquarePants musical as Squidward Tentacles and in the 2015 musical Sweet Revenge as Bill Yorke. In the jungle, he told rapper Aitch that his distinctive voice comes from his father, an English teacher who 'made it into stories all the time'.
