Sunderland musician and boyfriend set to appear on BBC talent show

Prince and Pearl, comprising couple Shannon Powell (Pearl) and boyfriend Afnan Iftikhar (Prince), will appear on new BBC talent programme All Together Now.

Saturday’s show is the third in a six-part series which sees conventional judging scrapped in favour of 100 music industry experts.

If any of the 100, which includes former Spice Girl Geri Horner, like what they hear being performed, they get up and join in, with the greater number of experts joining in adding to the contestant’s score.

Shannon, who is from Southwick in Sunderland, and Afnan, 29, who hails from North Shields, have been performing together for years but only over the past year as a double act/

They made it through to the boot camp stage of last year’s X Factor competition, although footage of their progress was not broadcast.

Former Red House Academy pupil Shannon, 25, told the Echo: “It was amazing to get an opportunity like this.

“We were on the X Factor last year but even though we got to the boot camp they cut out our footage.

“So to get another chance on television is brilliant.

“Together we’ve only been gigging for a little over a year, but separately we have been musicians for a decade.

“To be honest it feels like we’ve been doing this forever.”

Shannon is keeping tight lipped as to what song they will perform on the programme, but said it will be an “iconic song”.

“It’s something that most people know but it’s our version of it,” she said.

“Our stuff I’d describe as dark country pop, so it’s a little bit different so what most people will have heard.

“We write, record and perform together, so the process is great.

“In music I don’t think you usually get someone who complements the other person in a group like that.

“We are like yin and yang.”

Prince and Pearl are set to appear on All Together Now at 7.15pm on BBC this Saturday.