UK

Mo Adeniran crowned winner of The Voice UK

MO ADENIRAN has been crowned the winner of The Voice UK.

The hotel worker (21), looked stunned as host Emma Willis announced that he had been voted the winner of the 2017 series.

He thanked his mentor, singer and Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson, for her support as confetti fell around him and he was hugged by his fellow contestants.

"An amazing thank you to the most phenomenal person I have ever met, thank you Jennifer," he said.

Adeniran took the title following blistering performances of Paolo Nutini's Iron Sky and Unsteady by X Ambassadors.

He had been the bookies' favourite coming into the final, where he beat fellow contestants Michelle John, Jamie Miller and runners-up Into The Ark.

But the singer said all the hopefuls had "done amazing" in the series, which was airing on ITV for the first time since switching from the BBC.

John, from coach Will.i.am's team, was knocked out during Saturday night's programme after losing out in the public vote.

Hudson's contestant Miller fell by the wayside during Sunday night's show, with his rendition of Ed Sheeran's Shape Of You not proving to be enough to carry him into the final round.

The last challenge saw Adeniran and Into The Ark go head to head to sing for their lives.

Adeniran's stirring performance of Unsteady had Hudson struggling to contain her emotions.

Blinking back tears, she told him: "Mo, we feel your heart."

He won praise from all the coaches, with Gavin Rossdale gushing: "You have the voice of a generation."

Into The Ark served up an impressive rendition of Not A One by The Young Wild in a bid to secure the coveted Polydor recording contract.

It went down a storm with their coach Sir Tom Jones who said they had been "tremendous".

"These two boys are unique," he told the audience.

"There is nothing around them like this at the moment ... they are original."

But in the end it was not enough to stop fans' favourite Adeniran from taking the title.

He is now headed to the studio to record his winner's EP.

The grand final also featured a performance by US singer-songwriter John Legend, who debuted his new song Sure Fire.