Kimberley sizes up her chance

Lily Allen, Posh Spice and Amy Winehouse are among the hundreds of skinny stars hogging the limelight.

So when Kimberley Massey, who is a size 18, spotted auditions for a new group called Plus where the singers all have to be at least a size 16, she signed up straight away.

“I started singing when I was at Tividale High School but I was thrown out of the choir for being tone deaf,” says the 21-year-old from Dudley. “At the time I was bullied for my weight but I still wanted to be a singer so I practised in secret in my bedroom at home copying singers such as Pink and Shania Twain.

“I took my music GCSE and on the day I was tested for singing I knew the teachers thought I was going to fail.

“They were so shocked when they heard me singing that they called my parents up to tell them how well I had done.

“They also asked me to headline the school concert and I sang My Heart Will Go On - the audience gave me a standing ovation. I was so spurred on by the fact that with hard work and determination I could improve my voice that I decided to try and make a career out of it.”

Kimberley says that she went for three auditions for X Factor but was dropped before she got to see the three judges.

“Each time I auditioned I got through the two rounds where you meet the producers of the show. For every 10 talented singers they pick out they also choose 40 comedy ones.

“So many talented people are turned away and I believe I didn’t get through to the final rounds because of my size.”

This Saturday Kimberley will be performing in front of celebrity judges including soul legend Ruby Turner, Darren Bazzoni, who has produced for the Sugababes, and former Bay City Rollers publicist Kizzi Nkwocha.

Kimberley says: “My dad, Keith, spotted an advert in the Express & Star for the auditions at the Hertford Marquee Club.

“I suffer with epilepsy and have needed two operations on my back, which has slowed down my career but now I’m ready to rock.

“At the audition I will be singing Rise by Gabrielle but if I don’t get into the band I won’t give up.

“The manager of the Saracens Head in Dudley has offered me a slot to sing on a Wednesday night.

“I have also done a number of shows including one for Alan Bull, Steve Bull’s brother. I sang at Wordsley and Tipton Carnivals and at JBs nightclub on Castle Hill in Dudley. It is exciting to be going for the auditions knowing that I can’t be ruled out simply for my size.”

Kizzi Nkwocha, who will be a judge at the auditions, says: “There are thousands of female singers out there who have been turned away by the music industry simply because of their weight. The music industry has a definite bias against any female singer who is over a size 12.

“For some reason the powers-that-be are convinced that, for a woman to be attractive and talented, she must also be a stick insect.

“We don’t think that’s right and we don’t think that’s true.”