Singer-songwriter Carley is showcase winner at London's O2 arena

A TALENTED local singer-songwriter has given the performance of a lifetime at the Open Mic National Grand Final held at the O2 arena in London.

Carley Varley (pictured), from Milford, entered the competition last year and sailed through the local preliminary rounds to get to the area finals, where she finished in the top seven. This guaranteed her a place singing in one of the biggest arenas in the UK.

The event took place last Sunday, where Carley performed a mash-up cover of Broken Strings by James Morrison and Back and Forth by Becky Hill, MK and Jonas Blue, but unfortunately, did not win the top spot.

However, she was selected as a showcase winner, granting her a special meeting with Future Music to discuss further development of her music career. She also won some professional recording sessions.

She told the A&T: “Although I didn’t win the competition, it gave me a real insight into the industry which has made me even more determined to work on my own music and get ready to release my EP.

“I got to perform at the O2 and I did win some recording time, which is a silver lining, and my friends and family came along to support me – which was epic.”

The Open Mic UK competition has been running for ten years and attracts tens of thousands of entries from singers, rappers and unique acts from all around the country.