Bewdley to the Brits: Becky Hill talks pulling pints, Midlands pride and chasing more success

ITV News Central Journalist Ciaran Fitzpatrick spoke to Becky Hill as she is set to perform at the Brit Awards and repeat her dance gong success

Becky Hill has spoken to ITV News Central about her love for her hometown of Bewdley and what winning her second Brit award would mean to her.

The 28-year-old won the Best Dance Act in 2022, which was the first time the award was given since 2004.

She also spoke of her memories of working at the Safari Park and her passion for the LGBT+ community.

She said: "I really feel Birmingham Pride has been along every step of the way in my career."

The 28-year-old will be performing on the night too, alongside frequent collaborator French superstar DJ David Guetta, and singer Ella Henderson.

The singer also said the prospect of winning again is "mind-blowing".

Becky said: "The Brits, for me, has always been a highlight of my career and a dream to not only get nominated, not only to win, but to perform there as well.

"It's such an incredible honour to be nominated again for Best Dance Act two years in a row."

The Bewdley-born star first came to attention in 2012 as she was a semi-finalist on the first series of the singing competition The Voice UK.

And it only took the singer two more years before she achieved her first Number 1 record.

Last year, she released her debut album which hit the top 10, and had several worldwide smash-hit singles.

She also performed at the Women's Euros final.

Coming from what she describes as "humble beginnings", the proud Midlander says she fell in love with performing when she started out singing at an open mic night at a local pub in Bewdley.

She said: "If it wasn't for the Cock & Magpie, allowing me in at the age of 15 and letting me sing my songs and have that space, there wouldn't have been anything else to follow it. And I had the best time of my teenage years in this very pub."

She revealed that she worked at the pub a few years later, admitting she was a "terrible barmaid" but had an idyllic childhood growing up in Bewdley. She recalled having "very good memories" of the Safari Park.

"I think we took my Nana, and one of the phrases was 'Drive on, drive on!'," said Becky.

"My sister worked at the at the the safari park, and there's a kind of like a saying in Bewdley that if you haven't worked at a pub, you've worked at the safari park," she adds.

In 2022, Becky performed a number of times in the Midlands - from the 'Concert for Ukraine', to the Commonwealth Games and headlining Birmingham Pride.

She said: "I'm very passionate about the LGBTQIA+ community, and they have supported me from very early on.

"They were booking me to perform Pride before anybody else was. I really feel Birmingham Pride has been along every step of the way in my career."

"I remember going to Nightingale's getting my first taste of drag culture, and now I've got my own drag troupe... it's a really important movement to me."

Keeping in touch with her roots critical to her, saying "it's really important to come back and play as local as I can get".

"And I always like to ask the audience which part of the West Midlands I've come from that eats up about 15 minutes of my time here.

"Who's from Rowley Regis? Who's from Cradley Heath? So yeah, it's always a fun one!"