Busking duo to release single after triumph in The Voice
TWO North East buskers who won The Voice UK will release their first single this week.
Jenna Cole, 22, and Olivia Irvin, 24, were crowned winners of the twelfth series of the ITV show back in January. The duo, who were known as ‘Jen & Liv’, are the first ever group to win the singing competition.
During the show, Jenna, from Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, and Olivia, from Spennymoor, County Durham, were mentored by Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am.
When they won, they bagged themselves a record deal, £50,000 and a dream holiday to Mauritius.
Weeks after winning the show, Jenna and Olivia, who often busk in Newcastle city centre, confirmed that they had changed their name to ‘HUNNI”.
They announced on social media their first single, which is called ‘Heartbeat’, will be released on Friday.
Fans are able to pre-save the song on Spotify and Apple Music.
They posted: “So much love, time and energy has gone into this track. The past year has been such a rollercoaster, working with so many talented collaborators, finding our sound, and discovering HUNNI. We are so proud of ‘Heartbeat’, and we hope you love it as much as we do.”
Jenna and Olivia first met when they were in a Little Mix tribute band together as Jade and Leanne. They decided to become a duo and went on to play gigs all over the UK.
In 2022, they impressed Tyson Fury and Sean Paul with their vocals. Tyson Fury began dancing to their music in Newcastle city centre and Sean Paul invited them backstage to perform for him following his gig at the O2 City Hall.
They first wowed the judges on The Voice UK when they belted out Doja Cat’s song ‘Woman’ in their blind audition. They were one of four acts who competed in the pre-recorded final, which was voted on by the studio audience. To the delight of people across the North East, the pair were crowned winners.