Arena bomb victim was my pal. He gave me the strength to go on BGT
Grieving Rob is inspired by Martyn to reach for stars
BOMBER Salman Ramadan Abedi
Walking on to the Britain’s Got Talent stage is a nerve-shredding time for any performer. But Rob King had the comforting and encouraging words of his biggest supporter in his mind to help him take those shaky steps.
His friend was Martyn Hett, 29, the hugely popular PR manager and Coronation Street superfan who was killed in the Manchester Arena bomb.
Singer Rob says: “Martyn made a huge fuss of each of my pub gigs and used to sit in the front row absolutely screaming each word back at me.
“His friendship, and loss, has been a vital life lesson. He never wasted a second and seized every opportunity.
“After he was taken, the hashtag BeMoreMartyn inspired people to be more positive and go-ahead like him. I think of him every day.
“Martyn’s the reason I applied for BGT. He was on my mind as I stood on stage trembling in front of Simon Cowell. He gave me that strength.”
Rob, 28, of Altrincham, Greater Manchester, works full time in the bar in the Lowry Theatre, Salford, and was at work when he heard something terrible had happened after Ariana Grande’s concert on May 22, 2017.
Salman Ramadan Abedi, 22, had detonated his suicide bomb. He killed 23 people and wounded 139.
“Martyn was the first person I texted, as I knew he was going,” says Rob. “When I didn’t hear back, I called another friend but she was at the other side of the arena and said, ‘It’s OK, there was a panic but everyone’s fine’.
BHe was on my mind as I stood on stage trembling
ut as the hours wore on, no one had heard from Martyn. The following evening, when a friend called to tell me his body had been found, I collapsed.”
Rob took “months and months” to rebuild. The two had struck up a friendship seven years previously after one of Martyn’s hilarious mishaps.
He says: “Martyn and I followed each other on Twitter and met four or five times. Each time he introduced himself as if it was the first time.
“One night he fell asleep on a train and ended up in Nottingham so tweeted, ‘Do I know anyone there?’.
“I happened to be there so got in touch to say he could stay with us.
“As soon as he turned up, he stuck out his hand and said, ‘Hi, I’m Martyn’ and I said, ‘I know – we’ve met a good few times’. We started hanging out a lot more and he never missed one of my gigs. He always said he wanted me to sing a Mariah Carey song, Till the End of Time, at his wedding. I was devastated, and also honoured, to be invited to sing it at Martyn’s vigil and funeral.”
Rob first realised he had a strong voice at the age of 14 when music teacher Nia Moorhouse spotted his talent at Wellington School. Shy, he was encouraged to sing louder by her vacuuming the class while he sang.
Rob says: “Mrs Moorhouse broke through all my anxieties and gave me confidence to perform. No one’s been able to shut me up since.
“I pretended to be like my friends who were in to hard rock music, but back home I sang to divas like Whitney Houston and Mariah.”
Rob gained a degree in music at Bangor University, then returned to Altrincham to work in B&Q, while also helping Mrs Moorhouse lead choirs.
Five years ago he started working at the Lowry, where he’ll be when his ROB KING ON REASON HE APPLIED FOR SHOW audition airs on Saturday. He does gigs in the bar and other city venues.
His performances at Martyn’s vigil led to an invitation to close Manchester Pride 2017, when he sang his BGT audition song first made famous by Eurovision sensation Conchita, Rise Like a Phoenix.
Rob applied to be part of BBC show All Together Now two years ago and was amazed to be accepted. A certain Spice Girl helped him feel at ease.
He says: “I was telling someone I didn’t feel I belonged there amongst all these professionals from the West End. Geri Halliwell interrupted to tell me I belonged there just as much as anyone else. It meant the world.”
The show spurred on Rob, who is single, to apply for BGT. Thoughts of Martyn gave him the extra push.
Rob says: “He always encouraged all his friends to do what they love. I thought, ‘I’m surrounded by people who support me, and I’ll never know how far I can go unless I do this.’
“I know what he’d have done if I told him I made it on to BGT – screamed.” ■ Britain’s Got Talent is on ITV tonight at 8pm.