Hackney beat boxer Brian Bennett knocked out on The Voice semi-finals

A beat boxer from Hackney has been knocked out of The Voice singing talent show, after getting through as one of the last eight contestants to sing on the live semi-finals on the BBC on Saturday night.

Brian Bennett, aka Lyrickal, was being mentored by Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am, and had moved into the show’s house in St Albans last week to rehearse in the studio there, as the programme moved closer to the finals.

The 46-year old had got through to the semis after singing James Morrison’s song Just Like A Child.

He had changed the lyrics to one of the song’s verses and dedicated it especially to his girlfriend of five years, who came to hear him sing live on the show.

Brian, who has lived in Kingsland Road all his life, told the Gazette: “Listening to the song and what it was about I felt that it was a chance for me to do something special that I could give to her as a gift and say ‘I know where you are coming from’.

“I told her that I was doing that and then I showed her what it was going to sound like and she was obviously emotional, and quite surprised because of how personal those lyrics are.

“She has been with me on this crazy journey, and I’m happy she was there to hear me sing.

“It was amazing to sing it live, it was emotional, the song was so deep and the lyrics were personal to me and I wasn’t afraid of letting the emotion come out, to connect with the song and the audience.”

Brian tries to add a personal touch to every song he sings.

“It’s a challenge to sing a song and do a cover, it’s not so much of a challenge to memorise lyrics and repeat them, that wouldn’t be enough for me to do in a song, this allows me to say something extra.”