Ruti Olajugbagbe rose to fame as the winner of The Voice 2018. Hailing from Southend-on-Sea, prior to her participance in the talent show Ruti was a part-time caregiver and student at Youth Creation Performing Arts School in Stanford-le-Hope. In her spare time, she took part in both a harmony group and dance group. On entering the ITV television show The Voice in 2018, she won a spot on Tom Jones team with her performance of George Ezra's "Budapest." She was crowned winner on April 7, 2018 after beating 16-year-old Donel Mangena to the top spot. Having won the public vote, she subsequently secured a record deal with Polydor. Following the conclusion of The Voice, Ruti released her winning single from the show, a cover of the Cranberries' "Dreams."
