RUNCORN songstress Nadine McGhee battled her way through to the live shows on TV talent show The Voice last night.

The 19-year-old call centre worker from Windmill Hill competed against a Hertfordshire singer with celebrity parents in the battle rounds.

Lucy Kane, the daughter of model turned actress Linda Lusardi and actor Sam Kane, labelled Nadine ‘brilliant’ before they performed Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper as part of Team Tom Jones.

Judges Sir Tom and Jennifer Hudson also lavished praise on former St Berteline’s CE Primary School pupil Nadine after the battle as she progressed to the knockout phase of the competition – which will be shown live for the first time this year – at 20-year-old Lucy’s expense.

Before choosing Nadine as one of his final seven singers, Sir Tom told the girls: “You were a little nervous, the both of you, but that’s understandable because it’s a big show and a big night.”

He added: “Nadine has just got this very honest, beautiful tone and a lot of passion in the way you sing.

“Whichever way I go I just want you both to know you did a wonderful job and that’s the truth.”

As she had done when Sir Tom pressed his big red button to turn his chair for her in the blind auditions, Nadine burst into tears of joy after getting through.

The teenager, who works for 02 at the Capita building in Preston Brook, said: “Thank you so much Tom."

She then turned to host Emma Willis and said ‘I love him’ before being congratulated by the four judges and embraced by her delighted family in the audience.

After she had left the stage Jennifer said in a conversation with her fellow judges: “It was her passion that got me, Nadine.”

Sir Tom replied: “Yeah, and her tone. She’s got a strong tone.”

He had earlier said he faced a ‘tough’ choice between Nadine and Lucy as ‘they are both really strong’.

But they struggled with the song he originally chose them to sing, Still Falling For You by Ellie Goulding.

Both girls were more comfortable singing Time After Time.

Nadine said: "I genuinely like Lucy but she is an opponrent and I am here to win."

She admitted that she is still pinching herself over her sudden rise to prominence.

Nadine said: "It’s mad. I am sitting in a call centre one day, working nine-to-five, and the next day I am singing in front of Tom Jones.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet.”

The battle round of The Voice, which has moved over to ITV from the BBC, sees pairs from the same team perform a competitive duet to keep their place in the competition.