The Voice hopeful Nathan Moore has said the programme is more welcoming for former pop stars like himself than other TV contests.
Nathan made his name in 80s pop group Brother Beyond and went on to join boy band Worlds Apart in the 90s, but he can be seen auditioning for mentors Ricky Wilson, Sir Tom Jones, Rita Ora and Will.i.am this weekend on the BBC show.
He admitted: "It was one of the most frightening things I've ever done. I thought all my experience would help, but it counted for nothing. When you walk out on that stage and everyone has to be silent for 45 seconds, your heart is in your mouth."
Explaining why so many former stars were happy to appear on The Voice but didn't tend to go for The X Factor, he said: "I don't think The X Factor would be interested in people like us. They want the window cleaner who hasn't had his chance before. There's room for someone like me on The Voice and I think it's interesting for the viewer to see how I will fare.
"Performers like it because you are judged purely on your talent, but also you're not penalised for being overweight or not the right look, as the world might see it. I'm 50 now, and The X Factor wouldn't take a look at me, I'm too old."
Nathan, who used to manage the likes of ex-Steps star Lisa Scott Lee and former Pop Idol contestant Hayley Evetts, added: "Doing The Voice was a pleasure. You don't care what people think when you get to this point in your life, I just enjoyed the challenge."
Despite having gone through a tough time when Brother Beyond split and before he'd joined Worlds Apart, Nathan said he is now enjoying performing hits from both groups at festivals and on nostalgia tours.
He said: "I had some great times, but I had some terrible times, too. I was on tour in America with Brother Beyond, we were invited for dinner at Madonna's. The week we got back EMI dropped us, and that was it. I had massive tax bills, got made bankrupt and had nowhere to live. I had to borrow money off my dad.
"My son is four and I think if he ever says to me, 'Daddy I want to be a singer,' I'm going to have a stern chat with him and tell him, 'Beware, son'."
But he said performing all the old hits now was popular with fans: "I don't think people want new music from a 50-year-old version of me. I see all these artists from my era putting out new records, and hardly ever do they do well."
Nathan also discovered a fan in Voice mentor Ricky while chatting to him after his audition: "Ricky said, 'Brother Beyond? I had a picture of you in my locker at school'."
Watch Nathan’s audition on The Voice, Saturday 7 February, 7.00pm on BBC1.
