"Amazing, excellent, class": What you are saying about Melissa Cavanagh after her appearance on hit BBC1 show The Voice

The 25-year-old from Ashbrooke is through to the next round of the competition after her rendition of Blame by Calvin Harris featuring John Newman impressed the Culture Club frontman.

Boy George, who is new to the show this series, turned his chair meaning the former Thornhill School pupil will go through to The Battles round where she will be pitted against another of his acts.

“I never thought I’d make it through to the Blind Audition, so to make it through to The Battles is amazing,” said Melissa who watched the show at her local pub, The Rosedene.

Her performance certainly wowed Echo readers, who took to our Facebook page to hail Melissa.

Heather Dobson said: "Well done she was good, and let's face it who knows more about music than no other but Boy George, so was over the moon he turned."

Pamela Jane Usher added: "She was brill fantastic defo picked the best Boy George."

Maureen Angela Milner posted: "Well Done Melissa,You go girl, very proud of you."

Lauren Jane Spicer Melissa Cavanagh added: "You're amazing! Can't wait to see your name in lights."

Carol Hutchinson posted: "Well done she was class" while Debbie Crawford wrote: "She was excellent! Go girl.x"

Melissa, who filmed the audition back in September, was inspired to enter the show after a cancer battle spurred her into chasing her dreams.

Aged 13, she underwent an eight-month course of chemotherapy after doctors discovered she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma. And beating the disease made her appreciate the opportunities life throws at her even more.

Over the years, Melissa has appeared in the Echo many times for her fight against cancer, as well as for her performances at venues including Sunderland Empire.

Today, she juggles her job at a claims management company with performing in amateur musical theatre productions, and singing at charity concerts to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.