Richie Gooding is about as Penarth as they come.

He went to Stanwell, his mum teaches at Victoria Primary, and his dad is President of Penarth Athletic Club.

"I wouldn't say I'm the black sheep of the family," he tells Nub News. "But my family's always been rugby, rugby, rugby, and I went off in the opposite direction."

That direction? Singing. And what a strange journey it's been.

"I have always loved to sing. So when I was a boy I did all the little shows at Stanwell School and performed with Vale of Glamorgan Choir. Then when I left Penarth at twenty, I studied at the Guildford School of Acting.

"Since then, I've been in a few musicals, I've done backing vocals for John Barrowman, I toured with the Twelve Tenors through Europe and to South Africa where we performed at the Nelson Mandela Theatre, loads of weird stuff like that."

And now, in perhaps the strangest twist of Richie's varied career, he is about to feature on the German version of The Voice.

"I just thought - 'I'm a resident here. I might as well audition for the Voice of Germany.' I wasn't working that week so was just like: why not? It's all been pretty random."

Richie moved to Hamburg after meeting his husband, Phil, there while rehearsing for a cruise ship job.

The couple were married in Penarth's Paget Rooms last November.

"Phil loves Penarth and looking back we were so lucky to get married just before COVID. We got back just in time."

Before the Voice of Germany and even the Voice UK, there was the Voice of Holland. The format entails four showbiz judges hearing "blind auditions" with their chairs faced away. If they like the voice, they press a button and their chair swivels around to reveal the performer.

Richie says his audition, which will be broadcast to millions this Sunday at 7:15 PM UK time, was the most nerve-racking experience of his life.

"I'm used to being on stage, but the cameras and the fact that I'm here in Germany with millions of people watching was a weird one. My German's pretty patchy so it was a pretty daunting experience."

Find out how Richie does when his performance goes up on YouTube or watch along with him at @richie.gooding on Instagram on "Richie Gooding Singer" on Facebook.

Nub News will be doing a follow-up article with Richie on Monday.