Britain's Got Talent winner Lost Voice Guy has said it means a lot to him to be able to show off his new regional British accent after previously relying on a default 'posh' voice.
The comedian, whose real name is Lee Ridley, spoke in his newly acquired voice during an appearance on Lorraine this morning (20 December), four years after he was named winner of the British talent show.
During the show, the interviewer quickly noticed that Ridley's voice wasn't the same as it was on the show, and instead had very noticeable regional features.
"[I notice] as I listen to you, you've actually got a Geordie accent! That's incredible," she told the comedian.
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Acknowledging that his old accent just 'didn't quite feel like' him, Lost Voice Guy responded: "I love my new accent. It means a lot to me to finally be able to sound like my family and friends.
"It goes without saying that I've always wanted a Geordie accent. I don't think my previous voice represented where I came from, and it isn't exactly the voice I would have had if I wasn't disabled."
Ridley went on to joke that some people had suggested he use fellow Geordie stars Ant or Dec to relay his words, admitting that would be 'fine' if he could 'nick some of their voiceover work'.
"Having this voice will give me a bit of my identity back," he continued. "Of course, I've already started saying all the classic Geordie phrases, such as 'howay the lads'..."
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Ridley was able to change the voice on his communication device after receiving more than 500 offers from potential donors, who put themselves forward for the job by sending over recordings of themselves reading an extract from his book I'm Only In It For The Parking.
Speaking to ITV News Tyne Tees when news of his new voice was first revealed, Ridley commented: "Having this voice will give me a bit of my identity back. My family are from Consett in County Durham, so I'd like sound as close as I can to that, and I think this voice fits the bill.
"There was nothing wrong with my other voice, except for the fact it sounded very posh. It sounded like I should be reading the shipping forecast on Radio 4, so it means a lot to me to finally sound like my family and friends."
Ridley is next set to appear on television on Christmas Eve, when he will host the Christmas Comedy Club With Lost Voice Guy on ITV.
Topics: TV and Film, Britains Got Talent, Technology
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Emily Brown