Interview: Josh Hindle from ITV's Starstruck

Local singing sensation Josh Hindle made his television debut on Saturday 19th February on ITV's new primetime show Starstruck.

30-year-old Josh, who is well known locally for his Michael Bublé tribute act and also a member of Rochdale Musical Theatre Company, gave an incredible performance as part of Team Bublé in front of celebrity judges Adam Lambert, Sheridan Smith, Jason Manford and Beverley Knight, plus presenter Olly Murs.

Style caught up with Josh, to find out more about his Starstruck experience and his future plans...

Style: How does it feel to know over 4 million people watched you sing on national television?

Josh: Scary, very scary! But amazing at the same time! It was so strange knowing that I already knew what happened but didn’t know how it looked or sounded. So although it was all done and filmed, there was still a really nerve wracking feeling of what the overall look would be and how the public would react.

Thankfully, it was amazing and the reaction was incredible and very overwhelming. It took a long time to get through the outpour of love and support from everyone I know – the best feeling ever!

How would you describe the whole experience?

Bonkers! The whole show idea was to give ordinary people a taste of what it’s like to be on a stage of that magnitude and we were literally treated like stars. The process was around six months of auditions, call backs, meetings, rehearsals etc and it probably took longer than it should as we still had some covid restrictions in place which made it tricky.

From rehearsing with vocal coaches who work with Little Mix and Rita Ora to name a couple, costume departments from Dancing On Ice, Strictly and The Masked Singer, plus hair and make up from massive shows – it was all amazing and I met some incredible people (shout out to Jordan and Jack, my team mates who I am now best mates with!).

It was insane to hang out with Olly Murs and the incredible judges who were all so lovely and offered us brilliant advice we could take forward with us.

Where did your love of swing come from?

I think it came from singers who are keeping swing music going. I have always been into ‘older’ / ‘retro’ music and always had a different taste in music to my friends. I think it was Robbie Williams who inspired me and made me fall in love with that big band sound with his Royal Albert Hall concert ‘Swing When You’re Winning’.

Then of course, I’ve always listened to Michael Bublé and just love the great American song book. I love swing because it's so free and you can express yourself so much within the music and you can really let yourself go and have fun with it.

When did you film Starstruck?

The whole audition process began way back in November 2020!! Then the process began from say December 2020 through to May 2021. So it’s a long time ago, hence why we were all so nervous about watching it! It would have been on in 2021 but the pandemic delayed the tv schedule and new programmes were already in some slots meaning Starstruck had to be moved to 2022. It was a painful wait and seemed like an eternity but it was worth the wait for sure!

Was it difficult to keep it a secret?!

100%! Obviously my family knew and close friends but I just had to keep thinking ‘it’ll be worth the wait’ and had to keep drip feeding social posts such as ‘big things are coming’ but it was so hard not to tell anyone. And some that did know didn’t know the outcome so it was frustrating for them too!

What was the audition process like?

I was approached by the casting team after my series of Facebook live singing sessions through the lockdowns and also from when I ran an online music festival for 8,000 people raising £14k in 3 days for my local hospice who I am an ambassador for.

The process began with a Zoom audition, then an in person audition, then two or three call backs, a workshop day and then finally into rehearsals and a filming week. All of which were in London so the commuting was quite fun but scary at the same time. I got to meet so many talented people. Remarkable TV were the best and went above and beyond for us!

The auditions were simple and to the point, but you had to make sure you smashed it! I got down to the final five from thousands of applications. We were told over 30,000 people applied so this is such a proud accomplishment for me personally!

We waited ages to find out if we were in the final three for the show. Dates were getting moved so we had to wait longer but when I got the call and the producer told me I was in the final three, I broke down in tears to my mum on the phone - I was that overwhelmed that my chance to be on a huge tv singing show had come after years of hard work. It really was so overwhelming and I’ll never ever forget that moment.

What has the response been like since you appeared on the show?

Incredible. My bookings have trebled and I’m fully booked for 2022 with dates going every week for 2023. I’m so lucky to do this as a job. I’ve gained thousands of new followers on my social media platforms with a short clip of my performance getting 50k views and 2k likes on TikTok! I’ve had comments and messages from all over the world and I didn’t even win or get through... very lucky and humbled!

What are you up to over the next few months?

At the moment , I’m working on my bookings for the year, planning events and performances around the UK and preparing for a busy April and May where my big show with my band is taking place in Colne. Then I’m off to support Jane McDonald in Rhodes for a week in May which will be incredible!

Where can people see you perform?

I’ve got too many gigs to mention and will be updating my live dates section on joshhindle.co.uk and joshasbuble.com so people can keep track of my shows. I also have my big theatre show (one night only!) titled The Kings of Swing at Pendle Hippodrome Theatre in Colne on Saturday 23rd April 2022 at 7.30pm. Tickets: ticketsource.co.uk/phtheatre. I’m also getting the chance to be on stage with Rochdale Musical Theatre Company in their May 2022 production of ‘The Producers’ playing Roger De Bris! Book your tickets - it’s a laugh a minute musical comedy that you don’t want to miss!

What are your future plans?

I am focusing on working all over the country, having discussions about cruise ship appearances, looking for future tv opportunities and have plans for a new album but all this could take some time. It’s about targets and planning ahead for me at this stage and working hard!

Ruth Parkinson