By Charles Gardner —
When singer-songwriter Talia Dean reached the final of the X Factor talent contest, it was a dream come true. But the ultimate reality of her new-found fame couldn’t have been further from what she had imagined.
“An endless search to fill a void you can never fill with claps and cheers and money” left her feeling empty, exhausted and ill, she told Sean Fletcher on a BBC Songs of Praise program focusing on hope.
But after a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ on New Year’s Eve 2023, she has clearly discovered new joy and happiness and, beaming from ear to ear, adds triumphantly: “I feel loved.”
“I spent a few years feeling very low searching for this ‘something’,” she admits. And Christmas – “when we’re almost forced to be happy” – was especially stressful, and it all came to a climax as the new year approached two years ago.
Brought up a Catholic but losing her faith as a teenager, Talia found herself in a churchyard desperately praying for help. “My head was in my hands begging for some sort of sign…of warmth or love.”
And it came through the kindness of strangers. “I spotted three little figures. It was the vicar’s wife and her two daughters, and they invited me in for a cup of tea. Then they asked if they could pray for me. As they did so, the whole room lit up. It was incredible – the entire kitchen was alight.
“So that evening I had a chat with the Lord, saying: ‘If you are who you say you are, I just need one more sign – though I know I’m taking the mickey as you’ve already done that – and I will give you everything.
“It was a grey day, and it was raining. But suddenly the clouds parted and the sun came into my room just as it had done in that kitchen.”
Talia has rediscovered her Catholic roots and is now focused on making worship music, such as the beautiful song she performed for the BBC, complete with choral backing, called “I Will Praise Your Name.”
“I want people to follow a faith, to have some sort of direction and know what life’s about, to sing and fill your soul with joy.”
To know more about a personal relationship with God, go here
For more, view Songs of Praise – Advent Hope – BBC iPlayer
