Ex-Voice star Leah McFall: I've been left in tears by emotion at my concerts

A former contestant in The Voice UK has said she was left in tears by the emotional reaction to her music.

R and B artist Leah McFall was runner-up in series two of the BBC's talent show in 2013.

She was mentored by rapper will.i.am and has since turned to helping other aspiring musicians in Northern Ireland.

She said a father in Liverpool brought his two girls who were in foster care to one of her concerts.

She said: "He just wanted the girls to come to listen to those lyrics and I got to meet them afterwards to hear their really inspiring stories.

"Their dad was just stood in tears and so was I."

She said the kind of people who came to her shows was varied.

"It is so important to know the music I am writing is reaching lots of people in lots of different walks," she said.

"So we came away from meet-and-greets just in tears from people's stories of where life has brought them and how they came across music.

"Just amazing and incredible."

She added: "A lot of my record Ink was based on that, coming out and trying to be who you are and not be anyone else."

During The Voice, McFall made the top-40 charts with a cover song but lost out to fellow Northern Irish artist Andrea Begley.

She went on to support will.i.am in concert and released her own single Home.

She is a guest mentor at the Capital XTRA Music Potential Programme delivered by the Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast.

The UK-wide project by Capital XTRA Radio is one of the largest talent searches and intense music training schemes ever to come to Belfast, organisers said, targeting aspiring music makers aged 18-25.