A team of performers from Oxfordshire and Wiltshire will compete in this weekend's semi-finals of The Voice UK with one contestant switching working in prison cells for the big stage. 

Ace from Oxford and Hollie Peabody from Bicester, alongside Swindon twins Billy and Louie Hughes, are all in Sir Tom Jones' team.

They are among just 12 contestants left to sing for the grand prize of a record deal with EMI, a £50,000 cash prize and a trip to Universal Studios Florida.

Hollie, who sang a version of Selena Gomez’s Lose You To Love Me in the blind auditions, works in a support role as an Operational Support Grade at HMP Bullingdon near Bicester.

She impressed all the judges LeAnn Rimes, Will.i.am, Danny Jones and Tom Fletcher.

Ace, whose surname has not been disclosed, said: "Massive love and support to everyone on Team Tom.

"We all got so close and shared so much love in just a day. I am truly blessed to have met each one of you."

Hollie, who works at HMP Bullingdon, on The Voice UK 

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Hollie said taking part in the show was completely unplanned.

She said: "I’d thought about it before but never took it seriously. Then, out of the blue, I got an email from the production team, which left me in shock.

"It turns out my ex-partner secretly signed me up without me knowing."

And she said the support from colleagues at the prison has been "incredible".

She said: "They just want to be able to tell their friends, 'I know her'. It’s heart-warming, and their belief in me is a big confidence boost.

"Everyone at work has been more than supportive, from the governor giving me the green light to be on the show in the first place, to all the people I work with daily.

"They have all been nothing but happy for me and that made the whole experience 10 times more exciting."

Hollie said she has struggled with "overthinking and anxiety" in the past but working in the prison service has been "life-changing" for her confidence.

She said: "I joined at 19, and the support from my colleagues has been overwhelming—they’re like 100 new parents. While anxiety is still a part of my life, I’ve learned to trust myself and my decisions.

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"Working in a prison can be challenging and it’s been a very challenging time in prisons generally with many until recently at capacity, but my team are amazing and our team camaraderie is stronger than ever.

"That’s what pulls us through. And it’s certainly helped pull me through the terror of being on TV."

And she said she is "very happily staying put in my day job for now".

"Honestly, I don’t have any grand plans for a music career," she said.

"I went on The Voice to prove to myself that I could perform in front of an audience.

"I’m getting involved in local music events now, which has been a blast. But if this is as far as it goes, I’m totally happy with that. Everything else is just a bonus." 

One person from each team will be able to go through to the final.

The Voice semi-finals begin on ITV this Saturday, October 19 at 8.20pm.