The Voice dreams are over for Hartlepool's Rick Snowdon - but we haven't seen the last of him

The 29-year-old had made it to the final eight of mentor Paloma Faith’s team, but was not one of the three chosen to advance to the live shows.

The singer-songwriter, from Foggy Furze, narrowly missed out on making it to the next round of the BBC One talent show after belting out a rendition of Alter Bridge’s Watch Over You.

But Paloma didn’t take him through the Knockout stage.

Rick said: “While it should feel disappointing for an independent singer-songwriter to go out at this stage, I believe this is where my future in music really starts.

“Leaving The Voice at this time means I can focus on music, I feel uplifted and inspired to go forward.

“I’ve loved the whole thing and I’m glad to have been a part of it.

“I’ve made some great friends, people from all over the world are enjoying the songs I write and produce.

“I used to be terrified to leave my home, now everyone calls after me to talk about my journey and to wish me well for the future – so many positives, I can’t begin to list them.

“I have lots of good memories, and I have no regrets whatsoever. I trust my appearance and progress in The Voice will be a springboard to bigger and better things.

“But, perhaps, most of all, I have been gifted a profound sense of purpose from all the people who have been courageous enough to share their own weight problems with me.

“I wish everyone love and hope and joy.”

Rick grabbed global attention after revealing he had locked himself in his house for more than four years after his weight ballooned to 26 stone, and that he used music and singing to spur him on to lose weight.

He said: “Coming from being 26 stone and sitting in my bedroom for four years and eating myself to a slow death to being on a national television show and having this number of people support me is out of this world and I would never have expected anything close to this to happen.”

Rick says that despite losing out on a spot on the finals shows, we haven’t heard the last of him and that Paloma is keen to continue working with him.

After the show, Rick says the singer told him that his first single Bring You Home had “captivated” her and that she was going to play it to her manager.

He says she even confessed to him that she keeps singing it in the shower.

Rick told the Mail that after the show, Paloma told him: “I am so blown away. I think it’s really brilliant. You are the whole package. So much potential.

“If you can write songs like that the whole world should know about you. I don’t think you need The Voice – it doesn’t stop here.”

Rick said: “iTunes sales of Bring You Home have gone nuts and my stock of hard copies have sold out.

“I’ve now launched my second single Angel and my first solo album Black Magic.”

Rick’s single Angel is available to download on Amazon and other digital distribution sites.

He added: “It’s a real empowerment song to people who feel like they’ve lost love, people coming out of relationships and who feel like they’ve been left behind.

“I am upset to be leaving the show, but one of the producers told me that never in this stage of the competition has a contestant had as much publicity as I have.

“I’m just so grateful to everyone in Hartlepool and the area, and all over the country, for their support.

“I’ve even had messages on my Facebook page from people in Brazil, Germany, Egypt and even Saudi Arabia. It’s just crazy and I can’t thank people enough.

“You definitely haven’t seen the last of me.”