Belinda Davids fought off 15,000 hopefuls in her battle to pay a glittering tribute to one of the world’s most revered singers

There was only one Whitney Houston, but for those who loved the diva's music, Belinda Davids is the next best thing. After beating more than 15,000 hopefuls to be in The Greatest Love Of All: The Whitney Houston Show, she is touring the UK in April and coming to Newcastle City Hall. The show is a glittering and glamorous tribute to the Queen of Pop featuring Belinda, a 30-piece orchestra, dancers, and all the hits.

A single mum from South Africa who is living her dream as Whitney, Belinda recently won BBC One’s Even Better Than The Real Thing and blew audiences away on Showtime At The Apollo in the US.

Tell us about the show

We bring a calibre of musicianship, dancers and show production that is unheard of in the world of tribute shows. We have an amazing technical team who work tirelessly to make the show the best and this comes across in the production. If you are a Whitney Houston fan, you will love the show and even if you are not, you will still leave elated. We are the biggest and most successful Whitney Houston touring production in the world, and with good reason.

You beat over 15,000 people from all over the world to star in the show – what was that process like?

A close friend of mine called me and told me to audition for the Whitney Houston show. I wasn’t prepared as I'd just had a baby, but after some cajoling, I went anyway. The audition was at The Artscape theatre in Cape Town and I was the very last candidate to audition that day. I went through the audition process and following stages over the period of three weeks, and the rest is history.

How did you start off impersonating Whitney?

Since the first time I heard her sing at the age of eight. The first song I heard her on was a duet with Teddy Pendergrass called Hold Me, and I was mesmerised by her vocals.

What is your favourite Whitney song to perform?

The Greatest Love of All still tugs on the heartstrings, even after all this time. I don't think that will be surpassed for me.

Tell us about your experiences winning BBC One’s Even Better Than The Real Thing

It’s always an honour to meet fellow entertainers, especially tribute artists. Tribute acts are huge in the UK and have been for many years, but not so much in other parts of the world. So it was a huge surprise for me to then go on from performing on Even Better Than The Real Thing to be invited by FOX in the US to perform on their long-running prime-time show Showtime at the Apollo.

Can you do a good impersonation of any other famous performer?

Yes, but I’m not going to tell you who!

Do you have any pre-show routines you have to perform for luck?

Aside from going through the normal stretching and vocal exercises that most West End performers would, I try my best to relax, take my time to apply my makeup and focus on the role at hand, slowly adopting all the attributes of the character I am playing. This is necessity though, nothing to do with luck.

Do you remember where you were when you heard that Whitney had passed away?

It was early in the morning in South Africa and I was just getting up to start my day when I read the news. It was a tragic loss to the world of entertainment, especially so considering the manner in which she passed away. However, I try my best to honour and retain the best aspects of her legacy through the show rather than focusing on the tragic final stages of her life.

What song do you sing in the shower?

Evergreen by Yebba Smith.

  • The Greatest Love Of All: The Whitney Houston Show, Newcastle City Hall, April 13.