A BUSKER is back performing on the streets of Durham weeks after having to pull out of TV talent show The Voice because of illness.

Chloe Castro, from Spennymoor, County Durham, is now back to full health and has spoken about her time on the BBC 1 show.

The 20-year-old reached the quarter finals of the fifth series before pulling out of the live shows in March.

She said: “The show was incredible. It was so surreal I can’t really put it into words. I remember watching the show from the first series and sitting in my living room and thinking I can’t imagine how they must be feeling. To have experienced it and to say that I have is incredible.

“It was such a privilege. It happened so fast I wish I could do it again. The contestants were amazing and everyone had something special. It was brilliant to meet everyone and share the stage with different people and get the comments I did. It was life changing.

“I wouldn’t have dropped out if I had didn’t have to but I was too unwell. I was absolutely devastated and distraught.It broke my heart but at least I tried and I know how far I got.”

Miss Castro, who moved to Durham, from London with her mother at the age of 12, went to Framwellgate School and Durham Community Business College, before completing a BTEC in music at New College Durham.

It was the third time she had auditioned for a TV talent show.

She was chosen by mentor Ricky Wilson – the Kaiser Chiefs’ frontman – after performing the Hozier’s From Eden and successfully negotiated the knockout round by singing Sia’s Alive

“I just never imagined it would happen so to get as far as I did was amazing,” she added. “I’ve always wanted to be a professional singer but I’ve never had the confidence or believed in myself.

“It made me think that anything is possible and believe I can achieve what I want. The show has made me re-evaluate my ambitions.”

She is now hoping to play more gigs and is signed up for one in Norwich on June 17. She has also launched her own YouTube channel and is returning to the streets of Durham.

She said: “I’ve really missed it. Busking is what I usually do and always have done so that’s something I wanted to get back into.

“There are a lot of buskers in Durham so there’s a lot of competition. It’s a really good community – we’re all friends and work together. It will be good to get out doing that again.”