'Dorothy' star is becoming a bit of a Wildcat

OVER The Rainbow TV star Jessica Robinson is teaming up with a local band for a summer music festival.

The Middlesbrough teenager will perform with The Wildcats of Kilkenny at Middlesbrough Music Live next week.

They will perform The Pogues album Rum, Sodomy And The Lash.

The Wildcats of Kilkenny frontman Mike McGrother said:

"The Pogues are one of the greatest bands ever - obviously a big influence for us - and we've always fancied going the whole hog and playing one of their albums in its entirety, from start to finish, top to bottom.

"We already have a bunch of guest musicians on banjo, tin whistle, mandolin and sax, and Jessica will be the final piece in the puzzle."


Jessica came fifth in the search to star as Dorothy in Over The Rainbow in the West End.

She said: "I was chuffed to bits when Mike got in touch.

It's the first time I'll have sung something by The Pogues live on stage, so I'm really looking forward to it.

"I'm a big fan of Music Live.

I've been for the past few years and I always look forward to the amazing atmosphere there.

"I go with a big group of friends, and we always seem to catch up with people we've not seen for ages. It's like a massive reunion."

Thousands are expected to attend Middlesbrough Music Live on Sunday, June 6. For details, go to middlesbroughmusiclive.co.uk

Jessica on Stars In Their Eyes Kids when she was 13!

Here is a video of Jessica Robinson performing as Natalie Imbruglia on 'Stars In Their Eyes Kids' when she was 13 years old - CUTE. The song is called 'Shiver' what a little star!

Enjoy!




Jx

Come join the all new Jessica Robinson Fan Forum

Hey everyone!

So last night I decided to make a forum for Jessica, everyone is welcome to come join and chat with all the other Jessica fans about EVERYTHING Jessica Robinson! It'll be fun so come, come, come! :D

Here is the link.. Jessica Robinson Fan Forum

Videos of Jessica performing at the Over The Rainbow Final

Here a few videos of Jessica performing with the other finalists at the Over The Rainbow final! Jessica singing and dancing amazingly as always!

Wizard Of Oz Medley



Empire State Of Mind

Over The Rainbow has come to an end!

It's very sad that Over The Rainbow has finished it was a great series, top girls, top performances! Well done to Danielle for winning and Good Luck to all the other girls for the future especially our lovely Jessica! She's a star, can't wait to see her on a West End stage! Oh and of course a special little mention to little cutie Dave who will be Toto!

Jx

Jessica won't give up on dream after Dorothy disappointment + Jessica on BBC 5 Live

Article taken from hartlepoolmail.co.uk

A RISING star who narrowly missed out on clinching a lead role in a West End show is determined not to give up on her dreams of taking centre stage.
Jessica Robinson, 18, may have been knocked out of BBC1 reality show Over The Rainbow at the weekend, but already she is looking to the future.

The talented young performer has her eyes firmly set on her goal to perform on the West End stage and is looking forward to taking up a place at a London stage school in September, where she will train for three years.

Jessica, who is a student at the Northern School of Music, Hartlepool, said: "I'm really proud of myself that I got to the final 10.

"I have had no professional training. I have been to dance classes all my life, but never solid, professional stage school training."

Jessica said she had already secured a scholarship at top stage school Arts Ed, in Chiswick, London, before she entered the contest.

She was one of 10 performers out of 10,000 entrants to make it through to the televised show and was eliminated in fifth place.She said: "I did not expect to get past the top 50 so it was crazy that it's ended up like this.


"I have got a few meetings lined up with casting agents, but it's nothing massive. At the minute, unless something major comes up, I will be doing my training.

"In London I will be in the right place for opportunity."

Surprisingly, Jessica, who is currently back home in Middlesbrough, said she was turned down by another London stage school before she clinched a place at Arts Ed.

She said: "My dream outcome would be to get a lead role and the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber compares me to people, and the comments I have received from Andrew, it's so amazing to have someone with so much faith in you.

"I have been so lucky to have an opportunity that gives me experience that other girls don't have.

"I totally believe it's for me."

Also listen to Jessica on BBC 5 live Breakfast from this morning..
Here It's about 2hrs 55 minutes in.(LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE - SORRY. TRYING TO FIND IT AGAIN THOUGH)

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Jessica Robinson on life after Over The Rainbow

Taken from gazettelive.co.uk




JESSICA ROBINSON is still on cloud nine after having what she describes as “the best few month of my life”. She has just returned to Teesside after staring in BBC1 show Over The Rainbow. Reporter Sophie Barley visited the talented 18-year-old at her Normanby home to relive her Rainbow experience and talk about her joy to be home.

HER family, friends, Saltburn beach and Boro parmos were what Jessica Robinson missed the most when she was away from Teesside staring in a hit BBC show.

Jessica, 18, is now coming back down to earth after her dreams became a reality when she made the final five in Over the Rainbow.

The winner of the show will win the lead role of Dorothy in the new West End show, The Wizard of Oz.

Jessica was eliminated from the competition on Sunday despite getting consistently good comments from the judges.

She is now reflecting on the last few months and said the enormity of the experience has still not hit her.


She said: “Now that I am back I can see how massive the whole thing was. When you are down there you are in a bubble. You don’t realise how many people are watching.

“It still hasn’t hit me. People are stopping me in the street and I am finding it so strange.”

Jessica went to St Gabriel’s Primary School followed by St Peter’s Secondary School, in Normanby Road. She then went on to do a performing arts course at Stockton Riverside College.

She gained her performing skills at Middlesbrough Youth Theatre for which she was a member for more than six years.

She said: “I learned everything in Middlesbrough and that’s where it all started.

“I have loved singing since I was about six. But I think the performing side came the first time I stepped out on a stage. Normally you should feel nervous when you go out on a big stage but I didn’t at all. I loved it.”

Jessica auditioned for Over the Rainbow in Manchester in January and said she only went for a laugh.


She said: “I really didn’t expect anything from it. I just thought I would give it a go. But each audition went really well. I got more nervous as it went on but I just took each stage as it came.”

She was eventually picked for the TV finals.

She said: “I always thought I would be really nervous and scared performing live on a Saturday night but you just don’t think about it when you are there. You actually forget the cameras are there and that six million people are watching.



“I loved every show. They were so much fun and as the weeks went by all the girls became really good friends.”

After Jessica performed There You’ll Be by Faith Hill, Andrew Lloyd Webber described her as a “world class performer”.

She said: “I didn’t know what to do when he said that. It was fantastic. To hear that from him is just amazing.

“All the judges were really nice. I liked Charlotte Church a lot. She is so down to earth.


“When she came into one of my auditions she just walked in and said “my heels are killing me” so she just took them off.

“She is great and someone I really looked up to.”

During the show Jessica said she missed home and came home several times for a reality check.

She said: “I did come home quite a bit as I really missed everyone and it was good to get away from it all for a bit.

“One of the things I missed the most were parmos. I love them. I made one of the girls one when we were in London and she loved it.”

Jessica said she was not disappointed to leave the show and will return on Saturday to watch the remaining four finalists battle it out.

She said: “I never ever expected to get as far as I did. I still can’t get over the fact that I made the final five.

“The show has given me invaluable experience in this industry.”

Throughout the show Jessica received huge support from the people of Teesside.

She said: “I want to thank everyone who supported and voted for me. It was amazing and I didn’t expect that at all.”


In September Jessica will start a three year degree at ArtsEd stage school in London after she gained a scholarship to attend.

She said: “I am really looking forward to starting the course.

“From this whole experience I now know that performing is the only thing I want to do.

“Performing in the West End is the ultimate dream.

“When I am on stage I like to make people laugh. It is the best feeling in the world.”

However even the bright lights of London could never take away Jessica’s Boro roots.

She said: “Yeah they will never go. I will always be a Boro lass.”

Jx

Jessica Robinson Digital Spy Interview

Here is a great interview with Jess taken from Digital Spy.

The self-proclaimed "wacky" Dorothy Jessica Robinson had to hand back her ruby red slippers to Andrew Lloyd Webber last night. The Middlesbrough lass failed to win over the public, despite an energetic, umbrella-wielding performance of the tongue-twisting classic 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'. We caught up with Robinson last night to ask about her experiences on the show, her future and, most importantly - those strange facial expressions!

How are you feeling now about your exit? You must be disappointed.
"Not at all! Honestly. I can't believe I got to this stage anyway. It's not meant to be and I'm kind of philosophical about it. Everything happens for a reason. I'm just going to plough through and go on to bigger and better things."

Is it not frustrating that you were only two more good weeks away from the final?
"Do you know what? I think it's a lot easier when you get closer to winning it. I honestly think that makes it easier to leave. I would have been gutted if it had been a couple of weeks ago, because I'd have only been able to showcase a limited amount of myself. I've really shown myself on TV and people have seen a lot of me as a person. I'm really grateful for the weeks that I've been given. I'm not that gutted. Obviously, I would have loved to have made the final. But at the end of the day Alex, I think there is a part out there better suited to me."

When you were in the bottom two with Danielle, there was a chance that Andrew might have saved you. What were you thinking about during that last song?
"You just find a strength from somewhere. The other girls have talked about it in previous weeks. I think you kind of know whether you are going when you are in the bottom two. I knew that Danielle was brilliant, but I just thought, 'I'm not going to let nerves get the better of me if this is my last performance on TV'. So I just went out there and ploughed on through! I went out there and acted my little heart out. I'm not gutted about it at all, though. I just wasn't right for the part at the end of the day. Lloyd Webber has been so complimentary to me in recent weeks, I couldn't ask for anything more than that. He's compared me to Judy Garland and Funny Girl, which is one of my all-time favourite films. It made my life when he said that. To play Fanny Brice in Funny Girl would be a brilliant role for me. It would be far better suited that Dorothy."

What did you think when you found out you had 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' as your song this week?
"When I first got the song, I was like 'what on Earth?!' I think anybody would have felt the same. But then I just sat down and thought, 'I've been given this song, I can't sulk'. Then I started to feel happy about it and decided to just run with it. I wanted to have fun with the song. I'm a bit wacky anyway, so on Saturday I just went out to have fun with it. I came off laughing and I think people could see that I enjoyed myself. I went a bit crazy and gave the performance I wanted to give. It was a funny number and I'm glad I got to perform it."

A lot has been made of your facial expressions on the show. What do you think to the criticism that you may sometimes be over-acting?
"I can't really help it if I've got big eyes really! I've got huge eyes and huge lips. If I had smaller features, I don't think people would notice. I'm really eccentric in that sense. It's always been a part of me. People have slammed me for it and Sheila said that I needed to calm down, but at the end of the day, that is what makes me... me. It makes me stand out and distances me from other people as a performer. I mean Barbra Streisand is totally different to Celine Dion. And in that sense, what distances me from other artists is my facial expressions. People can love it or hate it, but that's me and I'm not going to change it for anybody. I always over-exaggerate absolutely everything. I'm a total drama queen!"

What's it been like living with the other girls in the Dorothy House?
"It's been so much fun. We are like sisters. I don't care what people say. I've heard people saying that during some of the girls goodbye songs that it looks like I'm going to kill people! What on earth! That's not the case at all. We are all so close and I got on with everybody on that show. We've done nothing but support each other through the bad times and the good times. We have takeaways together, sit and watch films together. When someone gets voted off, we are all there for them. We stick together and are friends for life. The other girls are the only people who will know what I've been through."

Jx

Jessica Robinson voted off Over The Rainbow

Article taken from gazettelive.co.uk

TEESSIDE starlet Jessica Robinson said it was “lovely to be home” today after she was voted off BBC1’s Over The Rainbow.


The 18-year-old is back on Teesside after her hope of landing the role of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz ended last night.

But Andrew Lloyd Webber said Jessica, from Normanby, was a “real star in the making”.

Jessica, who made it into the top five, told the Evening Gazette: “I am feeling absolutely fine and it is lovely to be home and out of the Dorothy bubble. I wasn’t shocked to be voted out as all the other girls are fantastic. The talent was so high.

“Making the top five was always my goal so I am really pleased that I managed to do that.”

Jessica was the second contestant to lose out in the weekend’s double elimination.

Her mum Judith said: “I am so proud of her. She has done incredibly well.

“It is a major achievement and I am absolutely thrilled for her.”

Jessica was forced into a sing-off with Danielle Hope after the pair received the fewest public votes last night.

The pair sang Take That Look Off Your Face from Tell Me On A Sunday in a bid to stay in the contest.

Andrew Lloyd Webber eventually saved Danielle.

He told Jessica: “‘I say this with the heaviest heart in the entire world, Jessica you are so wonderful and quirky, you’re a real star in the making.’’

Jessica, a former pupil of St Peter’s School, in Normanby, is now looking forward to attending leading London drama school ArtsEd, where she has gained a scholarship.

She said: “I have some meetings this week in London about where I can go from here but I am really looking forward to going to ArtsEd in September.

“In the meantime, who knows? It is funny because I was saying to the girls the other day that when I leave the show I was going to try and get a job in Topshop in Middlesbrough. They all told me I was being ridiculous as I wouldn’t need to do that. But I still need some money to prepare for stage school, so who knows.”


Jx

Jessica leaves Over The Rainbow!

Im very sad to see Jessica leave Over The Rainbow as are the rest of her little Monster Munchkins! She was in the sing off with Danielle - which was outstanding! Also Jessica's Over The Rainbow completely blew me away, WOW it was beautiful and very different from the others but of course it was! She took it all so well, she's going to be a star! Can watch the result, sing off and Jessica's Over The Rainbow below.. ENJOY!

The Sing Off



The Result




Over The Rainbow



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Jessica's week 6 performance!

It was Musical Theatre on Over The Rainbow this week, Jessica sang 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious' and please may I never have to type that again - haha only joking. All I can say is WOW it was outstanding, so much fun!

Watch below... enjoy!



Jx

Jessica Robinson living the dream in Over The Rainbow

Article taken from BBC TEES website.

A Middlesbrough teenager says being part of the BBC's Over the Rainbow talent search is life changing.
Eighteen-year-old Jessica Robinson is a performing arts student at Stockton Riverside College.

She was one of 10,000 contestants to apply for the TV competition and was hand picked to be in the final ten girls.
Speaking to BBC Tees on a short trip home to visit her family she said she wouldn't swap the experience.

Talent on Teesside

"Honestly I wouldn't change it for the world. Even when I'm stood on that stage and getting really tough criticism.

"So many people at home would want to be there and getting the criticism I'm getting - so I'm just taking it all in really."

The singer who lives in Normanby says she's proud of her roots and wants to prove that there is talent on Teesside, but says it is surreal working with Andrew Lloyd Webber who often pops into rehearsals.

Growing Up

Jessica's performances have won her praise from the judges in recent weeks, and she says her continued involvement in the show is helping her to grow up although she admits it's emotional seeing other contestants she's grown close to get voted off:

"We're like sisters and we've grown so close so when you see someone going it's really strange and it seems really empty in the house... at the end of the day you have to think this is the competition and I've just made friends along the way."

There is also a short audio on the website

Jx

Jessica Robinson Enjoying Over The Rainbow

Article taken from gazettelive.co.uk


JESSICA Robinson is loving every minute of her time on the BBC’s latest search for a West End star, Over The Rainbow.


The down-to-earth Normanby lass is not taking anything for granted, despite getting fantastic comments from the judges in her bid to star as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

Even after making the final six thanks to the viewers’ votes on Saturday, and despite being one of only two girls left in the competition who has never been in the dreaded “bottom two”, Jessica, 18, still dares not dream of wearing those iconic ruby slippers.

Still buzzing from her amazing performance of Cabaret, Jessica told the Gazette: “You sort of have to think about it because you’re in the competition for that role.

“But you get your latest numbers to rehearse at the beginning of the week and you just concentrate on those. That’s your goal for the week.

“You don’t really think about the bigger goal.”

Jessica, who admits she was in her element with the musical theatre theme of the latest show, received outstanding comments from the judges - and “finally cracked” tough nut Sheila Hancock.

Jessica said: “This was the first time I’d been given a musical theatre song and that’s my strength.

“I gave it some welly just like I would at home when I’m doing musical theatre and it was lovely for all the judges to recognise that.

“The comments were brilliant and I finally cracked Sheila! I was really pleased to get a good comment from her, but it was still constructive as always with Sheila.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber told Jessica her performance was well-acted, despite “being a very difficult song for a girl of your age to do.”

She said: “That is a song that means so much to me. Cabaret is my favourite musical and the Liza Minnelli role is my favourite.”

Jessica’s passion obviously paid off, as even John Partridge warmed to her courageous performance, which showed “great attack”.

The EastEnders and stage star, who has been quite critical of our Boro hopeful as a judge on the show, said her performance showed the qualities Dorothy should have, while Charlotte Church and Sheila both praised Jessica’s singing, despite earlier throat problems.

Jessica says she’s now “10 times better” after getting her voice back and is hoping to wow the judges - and the viewers - again this week.

She said: “It’s scary, but it’s also really exciting! You don’t know what’s going to happen and I love living on the edge. I always throw myself into it because it might be the last performance that I get and I just do what I can.”

Jx

Jessica's performances on Over The Rainbow so far..

Here are Jessica's solo performances from Over The Rainbow so far..

Week 1 - Rehab



Week 2 - The Voice Within



Week 3 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love



Week 4 - There You'll Be



Week 5 - Cabaret



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Welcome!

Hey everyone just thought i'd start this blog for Jessica! I already have two blogs for my favourite ladies - Zoe Lister and Sarah Lark. This is one for my other favourite Jessica Robinson! Will be posting news, pictures etc!
Jx