‘The Voice UK’ star Vangelis Polydorou says his mentor Boy George is "bossy" but knows his stuff.
The pair were teamed up on last year’s series of the British talent show – where Vangelis wowed the judges with his rendition of Boy George’s hit ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’ – and the singer says they didn’t get much time together during filming, but they’v now become great friends, the Culture Club frontman is his manager.
Speaking exclusively BANG Showbiz, he revealed: "On the show we don’t work with the coaches as much as the public think we do. Like we probably work with them for 20 minutes throughout the whole show.
"Working with him now off camera is really great I was like craving that, I was like I want to speak to you normally when the cameras aren’t there.
" I had a few moments where some song choices were changed and I got to speak to George off camera. When I first went round to his house it was so normal and he made a cup of tea. He’s great to work with off the show because he can be real and honest and he’s just so normal. He’s bossy but he knows what he wants and his standards are really high. And we’re friends now, that’s quite weird, we do things other than music, we’ll go to gigs or meet up for a coffee."
Vangelis is releasing his first single with production duo RetroPhobia, a cover of the iconic 1983 Eurythmics hit ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’, simply titled "Sweet Dreams" and he’s working on his debut solo album with George and several collaborators.
The 24-year-old singer hadn’t originally planned on releasing a record, but was persuaded by the ‘Karma Chameleon’ singer to do it.
On the album, he said: "Originally when me and George started working with each other it was just going to be one song and I was doing my own little project. But then he rang me up and was like, ‘I think you’ve got a special voice and I’d really to help you make an album.’
"So I’ve been working with him and doing some writing sessions with him and some of his friends that he knows and produces so it’s really great.
"There’s no rush for something I don’t feel that sense of pressure. But I don’t think we’re ready in terms of music and having all the original stuff ready."
Vangelis’ ‘bossy’ mentor Boy George
