At 76, Bette Reynolds, a grandmother from Scotland, made history on The Voice UK by performing “Rapper’s Delight,” becoming the oldest contestant ever on the show.
Originally from Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, and now living in Ontario, Canada, Bette surprised everyone with her bold choice of a rap song. Her energetic and precise delivery of the Sugarhill Gang classic immediately lit up the stage, earning cheers from the audience and delighted reactions from the judges.
Tom Fletcher and Danny Jones of McFly were so impressed that they both turned their chairs, welcoming Bette onto Team Tom and Dan. When asked why she chose a rap song, Bette explained, “My grandchildren love rap, so I thought I’d give it a try. They picked out some of their favorite artists to see how I’d do.”
Bette’s journey to the show is equally inspiring. Though she began classical singing at age five, she had not performed publicly since 1966, prioritizing marriage, raising a family, and later caring for her husband, Stewart, who had dementia. After his passing in January, Bette decided to honor him by returning to music, auditioning for The Voice UK in February.
“It’s been a tough year,” she admitted. “But Stewart was a joyful man, and I knew we had to keep moving forward. This experience has been an incredible blessing.”
The judges were moved as well. LeAnn Rimes praised the crowd’s excitement, Sir Tom Jones remarked that her voice sounded remarkably youthful, and Will.i.am was so touched that he ran onstage to hug her and joined in an impromptu duet of “I Gotta Feeling,” thrilling the audience further.
Before appearing on the show, Bette had already built a strong social media following of over 60,000 fans who enjoyed her playful music videos, including “I’m Your Granny” and “I’m on the Bus Y’all.” Her online presence caught the attention of The Voice UK producers, leading to her audition.
Her performance resonated widely online, with fans commenting, “I was having a really sad day UNTIL I heard Bette—she brought pure joy to my heart,” and “Best audition EVER!”
Now moving forward to the one-on-one battle rounds, Bette’s fans eagerly anticipate what she will do next, inspired by her late husband’s memory and cheered on by her supportive family.