Winner should have worked with writers, says Voice judge Bressie

By Elaine McCahill and Sharon McGowan

HE MAY be proud after mentoring last year's winner, but The Voice of Ireland judge Bressie says that he would have done things differently when it came to Brendan McCahey's debut album.

The coach (34) said that while he thinks McCahey is a "brilliant musician", he believes the Cavan man's album, Where I Begin, could have benefited with a little help from industry experts.

"With Brendan last year, I went into studio with him after and he said 'Listen, I don't want to co-write, I have my record there and I want to go with it'," Bressie said.

"I told him 'That's fine, if you want to stand by that you do that, it's your call'.

"But I would've liked to see him co-write and to put him in with some really good writers."

Meanwhile, Wicklow native Rebecca Kelly is hoping to wow the judges with her rendition of Norah Jones's Don't Know Why on Sunday night.

Rebecca (23) suffers from macular degeneration and has just 3pc vision but doesn't believe her condition will hold her back from a career in music.

"Music is my life, I don't know what I would do without it," she told the Herald.

"I was born with this problem but I still go out and do everything I want to do. It doesn't hold me back.

"I still go out with my friends or my boyfriend, I star in musical theatre - if there's something I want to do, I make it happen.

"There's no point wallowing in it - I'm going to pursue my dream," she added.

hnews@herald.ie