From Idol Philippines to Britain’s Got Talent.
Matty Juniosa brought his talent to the popular British talent competition, turning heads, including that of notoriously tough longtime judge Simon Cowell.
The 27-year-old singer auditioned by performing Prince's signature hit "Purple Rain."
His rendition of the classic ’80s song earned a standing ovation and a Golden Buzzer from Simon, propelling Matty directly to the live shows and skipping the audition rounds.
“I have been waiting for this chance to finally put an end to this long thing that I’ve been thinking about myself, that I will always be a singing competition loser,” said Matty, referring to his unsuccessful stint on Idol Philippines back in 2019.
Read: Mark Cardona, nakaditena dahil sa panghahalik sa babae sa BGC bar
SIMON COWELL'S SEAL OF APPROVAL
Matty's impressive showing, coupled with the enthusiastic audience reaction, surprised Simon.
"This, I think, is the biggest reaction we had from anyone,” raved Simon.
“I could have given him two Golden Buzzers,” wrote Simon on Facebook.
“Hope you all love the audition as well.”
The experience felt surreal for Matty, who "grew up watching the show."
During the audition, Matty was asked by judge Alesha Dixon what his dream was.
“Oh my gosh, my dream is to sing for crowds like this, to perform every day, create music, and conquer the world,” Matty said, as the audience erupted in cheers and applause.
Matty was overwhelmed with emotions after his performance, with judge Amanda Holden commenting, "It was an amazing version. I thought that was a fantastic performance. But I can see how much you want it. I can see that passion in you. So well done 'cause it was an amazing audition, and I just love you!"
Ex-boxer and musician, KSI, meanwhile, remarked, "Your personality is outstanding. On top of that, as soon as you took that mic off that stand, you became a superstar."
Read: DISMISSED: Liza Diño cyber-libel complaint against PEP
WHO IS MATTY JUNIOSA
Matty is based in Glasgow, United Kingdom, where he has lived for the past three years, and currently works part-time as a waiter.
He was born on July 13, 1998, and spent his early childhood in Quezon.
In a video uploaded on his YouTube channel six years ago, Matty shared that his family moved around a lot, and he resided in Mandaluyong, Zamboanga, Tawi-Tawi, Cavite, and Taguig.
"Pero majority talaga ng buhay ko Mandaluyong na talaga ako. Pero palipat-lipat po ako lagi sa Mandaluyong.
Matty is gay and is attracted to men, saying, "I see myself having a relationship with a man, getting married to a man. I don't see myself being with a woman."
He struggled with weight issues, recalling weighing 230 to 240 pounds in 2016, which affected his health.
Broken-hearted "for the nth time" in 2017, Matty started losing weight by being active and watching his food intake.
Matty recalled starting to sing when he was five to six years old.
"Because one of my family members loved to sing. I grew up hearing all my family members singing. We would go to different restaurants sa labas tapos meron silang karaoke places dun," Matty shared, noting that he often performed songs by M2M and Britney Spears.
He started joining singing contests in grade school, gamely volunteering to compete every chance he got.
Matty's musical influences also broadened as he went along, with a particular fondness for soul, pop, R&B, and disco artists like Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Beyonce, Stevie Wonder, and Jaya.
IDOL PHILIPPINES STINT
In 2019, Matty joined the debut season of Idol Philippines, where he finished in the Top 12.
Zephanie Dimaranan won the competition, with Lucas Garcia and Lance Busa being named as runner-up and third place, respectively.
Matty, along with Lucas and Enzo Almario, would be part of the singing trio iDolls, which was formed after Idol Philippines wrapped up.
The group broke up in 2022 following Matty’s decision to relocate to the United Kingdom for his studies.
“I know by now that you have found iDolls will be disbanding for a while, and that is because I will be pursuing a second degree in the UK for Musical Theater after I was granted a partial scholarship by The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland," Matty said in a statement.
“This endeavor is one that I am immensely excited for, but more than anything, anxious, because I have never been on my own and I haven’t experienced sustaining myself, all the more in a foreign country."