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A florist could soon be quitting the day job after a jaw-dropping performance earned her some high-profile plaudits on The Voice.
Millie Bowell works at her grandad's florist in the Priory Shopping Centre, Dartford, on weekdays.
Millie Bowell appeared on The Voice on Saturday
But on Saturday she delivered more than bouquets as her ear-shattering vocals saw her pass the final round of blind auditions on the hit ITV singing show.
The 23-year-old performed last on the night and had a nervous wait to see if celebrity judge Olly Murs – who was the last judge with spaces – would hand her a spot in his team.
When the Essex singer, who himself rose to fame through the X Factor, swivelled round his big red chair, she burst into tears of joy.
She described the audition as the "biggest thing" she'd ever done, saying: "It was nerve-racking. I can't explain it – I was fine until I was on the stage.
"I thought as if my whole body was a heart beat. I just kept holding that note."
The singer, from Eltham, only started performing in April last year, explaining she "never had the confidence before".
"Where I'm a bigger girl I'd always think people would laugh at me and judge me and then I got to a point where I just thought I actually don't care what people think.
"I had to accept who I was and accept I'm never going to be a size six."
She says her song choice, "Titanium" by David Guetta featuring Sia, was testament to this decision.
"I'm used to singing Whitney, anything Diva-ish," she said, but "that song sort of fitted" with my message: "You shoot me down but I won't fall."
On working at the family-run florist in Dartford where she delivers flowers, she said: "It's a real family business everyone works there – my nan, my grandad, my mum, my uncle, probably a few cousins out the back as well."
But the dream for Millie has always been to sing, as she explains: "I love my job I really do but all I ever do is dream about singing.
"I've been singing my whole entire life. As soon as I could put a little tune together."
The florist even received a glowing verdict from fellow judge Sir Tom, who said: "I'm so glad Olly waited for you as you deserve to be on this show."
Backstage she got to meet the cheeky chappy of pop Olly, who is no stranger to Kent having revealed last month he was recuperating after knee surgery with help from the University of Kent.
Millie even received an unannounced visit from the "All About That Bass" singer Meghan Trainor's dad who congratulated her on her performance.
With the blind auditions now fully wrapped up, Millie will now face off as part of the "Battles" round.
This phase sees coaches pit two or more of their own team members up against each other to sing the same song together.
If victorious, the singer will advance to the knock-out round where she will perform a song of her choice with a place in the final at stake.
Catch Millie next performance on The Voice on ITV at 8.30pm on Saturday, February 29.
