Lola Youngs Teen Talent Show Past Uncovered

Lola Young's beginnings in the industry have been revealed in an unearthed clip of her teen performance on a CBBC talent show.

The singer, now 25, performed on the children's TV channel on the series Got What It Takes ten years ago before shooting to stardom in 2024.

Lola received critical and fan acclaim for her No.1 single Messy from her album, This Wasn't Meant for You Anyway, after years of trying to break into the music business.

This included her appearance on the CBBC show, which saw eight singers fight for the attention of celebrity mentors, with Lola leaving a lasting impression. 

On the show, which ran for five series, fresh-faced Lola sang 's song Who You Are, wearing a black outfit with straight hair and braces.

Lola's look is notably quirkier these days, often opting for edgier grunge and punk outfits which include oversized layers, leather, distressed pieces and heavy boots.

Despite her different look, her pitch-perfect vocals were still recognisable to fans after she wowed the judges on the panel.

A clip has resurfaced on TikTok and fans of the singer shared their thoughts online.

They said: 'Stop I was so obsessed with this show I didn't realise she was on it'; 'She looks so different here'; 'always been a superstar,' and 'It's nice to see the evolution and that we all start somewhere';

'Beautiful voice, but her style is so cool now' and 'always been a superstar'. 

The singing competition had a twist: it wasn't just about the young singers—it was also about their parents, usually their mums. 

The show ran from 2016 to 2021 and was based on a Romanian format called Mom Made Me a Star.

Lola appeared on the second series of the CBBC show and won a sing-off against fellow contestants Lily and Paddy landing a spot in the final – where she later ended up coming runner-up.

The parents voted to decide the Sing-Off winner, creating a mix of talent competition and family dynamics. 

After her appearance on CBBC she released her debut single 6 Feet Under and in 2021 her voice was used for the John Lewis Christmas advert as she covered ELO's Together in Electric Dreams.

Last month, Lola revealed the devastating moment she learned an 'older man' she was dating for months was leading a double life as a married father.

She declared that she's 'back to women' after making the heartbreaking discovery when she overheard the man speaking to his wife on the phone.

Lola confessed she was dating the man for 'four months' and had been 'falling in love' with him before she discovered the truth.

She shared the tale during a segment of Spanish pop star Rosalia's concert at London's O2 Arena in May, and said she and the man had just slept together when she heard his conversation through his phone, which was still connected to the Bluetooth speaker.

Lola said: 'I was seeing someone for about four months, it was getting pretty serious.

'I have to confess I thought I was falling in love. He was a bit older, like an older human being. Men seem to mature a lot less quickly.

'We were seeing each other for four months and we got in bed and we do the deed, it was great.

'His phone rings just as he's about to finish and he jumps up and he's like, ''I'll be back in two minutes''.

'During the intercourse, the music was still playing on the Bluetooth speaker.

'He goes downstairs so he's on the phone and his wife is asking him to bring back nappies for his kids. I hear it all on the Bluetooth speaker.

'I didn't do anything wrong.'

'I lost the plot a bit. I was like, I can't do this, I'm back to women.'

Lola was invited out by Rosalia as a special guest, and she was taken into an on-stage confessional where she spoke about her experience, but didn't reveal when it took place or who the man is.

The hitmaker, who was spotted on the dating app Raya earlier this year, has never labelled her sexuality, but replied to a fan on TikTok last year saying: 'i like p***y as well u kno.'

Lola recently took a break from the limelight after collapsing on stage back in September, and she revealed in March that she has been in 'drugs recovery.' 

In an interview in March Lola candidly opened up about her 'ongoing' sobriety journey and revealed she is 'doing a h*** of a lot better' since getting treatment. 

Speaking to The Sunday Times, she said: 'I think I would rather for the sake of my privacy not say too much. But what I would say is that recovery is an ongoing process. I'm not the finished article, but I'm doing a hell of a lot better.'

When asked to clarify, she added: 'I mean drugs recovery, yes. When you're in recovery … that doesn't necessarily need to mean drugs – but me specifically, yes.' 

The singer later revealed she checked into a 'holistic facility' that focuses on addiction and mental health, and she is now attending AA.