Former Melton student becomes The Voice UK Semi Finalist

A former student at SMB College Group (formally Brooksby Melton College) has secured a place in the Semi Final of The Voice UK.

Ex-Melton Campus student, Shekinah “Shaka” Macfarlane, has been successful in securing a place in Olly Murs’ top 3 semi-finalists on The Voice UK.

Since achieving her Level 3 Musical Theatre with SMB College Group, Shaka has had a fantastic career within Performing Arts, including playing Anna of Cleves in the Six the Musical tour.

Shaka performed ‘Good Luck’ by Basemex Jaxx in her first blind audition for The Voice UK in September 2022 and, almost instantly, Olly Murs turned around to secure Shaka in his team.

Olly Murs said, “I’m so happy you applied for the show and you’re here now” with Sir Tom Jones adding, “You can definitely sing, and you deserve to be on here!”

Current students performing at Melton Theatre, where it all started for Shaka. Photo: SMB College Group

Last weekend on the show, Shaka performed ‘Every Little Step’ by Bobby Brown alongside contestants Benjamin Moss and Andres Cruz to fight for a place on Team Olly. After impressing Olly and guest mentor James Arthur, Shaka was successful in securing a spot to compete in the semi-finals!

Olly Murs congratulated her, saying: “Shaka did brilliantly - she won us over with her personality, but delivered a great performance and I wanted to work with her again”.

An SMB College Group spokesperson said: "We are incredibly proud of her progress through the show and her blossoming career within the industry."

SMB College Group’s Melton Campus is home to one of the leading Performing Arts Academies in the country, featuring a 340-seat commercial theatre, dance studios with sprung flooring, and professional recording studios.

To find out more about the college's facilities and courses you can visit their open day on Saturday 19th November. For more information visit their website here.