by Rebecca Hughes

She's shared a stage with Gary Barlow, supported Girls Aloud and has sung in front of the Queen, but Kirsten Joy performed in front of her biggest audience ever on Saturday when she sang to 9.45m viewers on hit TV show The Voice.

The former Rochester Grammar School girl took to the stage on the BBC1 show to perform Emeli Sande's song Heaven in front of four A-list judges in the hope of winning a recording contract with Universal Music.

The show is searching for the UK's next great voice. Contestants in round one sing to the coaches who listen without seeing the performer. If they like what they hear they press a buzzer and turn round to see who they have picked.

Kirsten, 25, was sent through to the next round by Price Tag singer Jessie J who pushed her button with just seconds to go. She is now through to the second stage - the battles - where Jessie will help her improve her vocal ability and share the secrets of her success before deciding whether to take her through to the final live shows.

Speaking after her performance Kirsten said: "I really didn't realise I would get that nervous and that made me realise that it really does mean a lot to me, especially when I didn't see any chairs turning around. I said to myself before, don't focus on them, just focus on what you've got to do.

"You can't help but get a little bit distracted by what they are doing.

"Vocally I have a lot of respect for Jessie. I want to work hard. This is my dream. I'm going to put everything I can into it. I feel really privileged to have someone like that who is going to push me."

Kirsten, of Walderslade, was last on BBC1 in 2008 when she made it to the finals of the show Last Choir Standing with the ACM Gospel Choir.

The Voice, which also features Sir Tom Jones, will.i.am and The Script's Danny O'Donoghue as celebrity judges, is on BBC1 every Saturday at 7pm.