Britain's Got Talent finalist releases debut single about mental health struggle

Britain's Got Talent finalist and dancer Glen Murphy has released a debut single, delving into his struggles with mental health.

Glen Murphy was one of the stars of the talent show in 2010, making up one half of dance duo Twist and Pulse.

The artist from Chatham has released the single to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.

It explores his fight with his mental health and encourages others to open up about their own struggles.

Glen said: "I've always felt passionate about mental health, but I always felt like it was from me looking at other people and worrying about how people felt until I realised that I was the person that wasn't speaking and I was the person that needed the help.

"I think the only way for me that felt authentic was to do it in a way that felt creative and a song and a music video felt like the vehicle that I needed to be able to really speak about how I felt, and now it feels like the most important thing I've ever done."

With the song also comes an important message: Can't Say it, Post it.

The social media campaign is designed to raise awareness as well as encourage men to take their first step towards talking about their feelings by writing it on a note, to remind them that they're not alone.

Glen said: "The whole campaign came around really authentically, and I think that's why it's felt so good.

"I never sat down and said, I want to do something for Mental Health Awareness Week and I want to really start talking about it.

"I had the song from about two years ago just for myself, something that I had done as a therapeutic release, a bit of a diary entry, and it was only when tWitch the dancer from The Ellen Show, he took his own life."

Stephen Boss, known as 'tWitch', was a dancer, DJ and occasional host of the popular American talk show who committed suicide, aged 40, in December 2022.

The performer suffered from depression before his death.

His loss has since motivated Glen to speak up about his own issues, and also step outside of his comfort zone.

Glen said: "I was writing a post saying, men need to start speaking, men need to talk, and I felt a bit like a hypocrite and I thought I haven't spoken to anyone, I haven't said anything.

"So how can I expect the men around me to open up if I won't do the same?

"I thought I have to take that first step, be vulnerable, do something that makes me really anxious, really uncomfortable, and put out a song which I've never done before.

"The campaign feels like the real reason I'm here, the real reason I should be doing it."