The eight and final pair in the Battle Round sing-off on The Voice on Saturday night was Ruth Brown and Deniece Pearson. And after an epic sing off, it was Ruth who came out on top to secure a place in the live shows.

Sir Tom Jones revealed that the duo would be singing ‘No-one’ by Alicia Keys for their battle song and Pearson commented:

‘Ruth has an amazing voice, but I have the experience and I don’t think Ruth has seen the best of me yet…not yet.’

Jones added:

‘She’s like an amazing singer and it’s her or me, so I have to do the best I can.’

During the rehearsal sessions with Jones and his guest mentor Cerys Matthews Deniece seemed self assured, but Ruth broke down in tears, admitting that the lyrics of the emotional song have a special meaning for her and her dad.

She said:

‘That’s what he always used to say, everything is going to be alright, so it was like telling me he was there and I’m going to be ok.’

Her breakdown even moved Sir Tom to tears, having faced bereavement and difficult times in his own life and he admitted that he knows how music can bring that pain to the fore. He said:

‘I know what she was going through. It was very touching.’

He tried to help the young singer, advising:

‘Use it as your strength. Don’t lose the emotion but use it in the right place.’

After the sing off Danny O’Donoghue raved:

‘That was amazing, really amazing! In two and a half minutes I think I heard every note that was created in music.’

He thought Deniece was a ‘consummate professional’ but was ‘captivated’ by young Ruth Brown, who he thought had a real ‘magic moment.’

Will.i.am said:

‘Before there was a music industry, we sang in churches, we sang with family and then there were the superstars. Deniece you remind me of the strength and the height of the music industry, you represent that. Ruth, you’re 19 years old but I don’t know how old your soul is child. You have a halo over you where it just oozes out of you. The height of stardom and the grit, the under, the I’m singing from my heart…what a battle.’

Jessie J thought both women could go through and ‘do well’.

Deliberating over his choice Tom said:

‘You feel the soul from the both of them. Deniece has the polish and the experience and then you have Ruth. I know what Willw as saying, you are coming from a different place, you just let it fly and it works.’

Making his final choice, Jones added:

‘This is difficult, I think the one that should got ot the live shows is Ruth Brown.’

The young singer broke down in tears again and Tom comforted her saying, ‘Your father would be proud of you!’