Falkirk's singer-songwriter Craig Eddie has been named winner of The Voice UK 2021.

The Scottish singer defeated fellow contender Grace Holden in the final after James Okulaja and Hannah Williams were both eliminated earlier in the episode.

As the news was announced, he turned his back on the camera and covered his face.

He said: “I still am shocked, honestly. Thank you to everyone, thank you to Scotland, thank you to everyone who voted.

“Genuinely, I cannot express my appreciation.”

During the final, he impressed the judges by performing an original song called Come Waste My Time, which will become his winner's single.

The Herald:

Eddie was mentored by singer Anne-Marie in her first series on the singing programme.

She replaced Meghan Trainor to join the coaching panel alongside Sir Tom Jones, Olly Murs and Will.i.am.

During the episode, each of the finalists performed with their mentors, with Anne-Marie and Eddie teaming up for a rendition of No Doubt’s Don’t Speak.

Anne-Marie, 29, previously said she was “determined to stop Olly getting a hat-trick” of victories with singers he has coached on the programme.

She said she is “so competitive”, adding: “So that’s obviously my goal of my whole entire life right now and I’m going to be dreaming about it and not being able to sleep at the same time.”

Last year, Murs triumphed as his contestant Blessing Chitapa won the show.

Chitapa returned to the stage during the final, to perform her new single I Smile.

Craig Eddie, 22, has opeed up about his struggles with anxiety on The Voice - but says  music makes him forget all his problems.

The artist, who has been joined on the series by parents Craig and Tracey, spoke out after his mum revealed his struggles with depression and anxiety.

The Herald:

She says: "Craig has really struggled with both depression and anxiety.

"We do whatever we can to get him help.

"If he can go and pick up that guitar and start singing, a couple of hours later he can come back out his bedroom and he's smiling again."

On how music impacts his happiness, Craig explained: "Ever since a young age I can remember I loved music.

"I take a lot of inspiration from my dad because he sings as well.

"I remember when I was five-years -old and I used to go to my dads gigs and he used To pick me up and I’d sing into the mic and the first song was actually Sex Bomb."

He added: "I was always uncomfortable talking about my problems to people and music has been a really good way to get out what I wanted to say.

"In a way I feel as if I do become someone else when I perform and the second I step on the stage all the worries and anxious thoughts are just eradicated.

"I was always performing around pubs but performing at a pub and then performing on The Voice are two very different things."