Fatt Butcher of the Voice UK fame opens up about quitting day job to make dreams come true

Drag artist and creative director from Birmingham Fatt Butcher wanted to perform and entertain for as long as they can remember and their dreams came true when they received a four-chair turn from all the judges at the Voice UK this month.

Judges - Tom Jones, Will.i.am, Olly Murs, and Anne-Marie - couldn’t help themselves when they heard the drag artist singing Kate Bush’ 'This Woman's Work’ and all of them turned their chairs in a nod of approval of the performance. 

Days after this incredible performance, Fatt Butcher aka Adam Carver spoke to BirminghamWorld about their experience and journey so far. 

“I have been performing and singing since I was a child. But, I started performing as Fatt Butcher - the glamorous icon that you see before you - during the pandemic. I started at the very beginning of the lockdown.” 

“I decided I was going to quit my job and start my own creative projects full time in February 2020, which, as you know, it's the best time to leave your job - would recommend,” Fatt Butcher laughs. 

They started hosting an online bingo after drag performers - suddenly, overnight - lost their jobs and before self-employment support was rolled out to raise money for the creative artists.  

That’s where they created an early version of the Fatt Butcher character. If you are still not sure where you have seen them in Birmingham - here’s a hint. They have been hosting the community vigil that starts Birmingham Pride. 

Fatt Butcher said: “For me that is always a real honour to be able to do that and to have thousands of people there who come to listen and be part of that, that's always a joy.”  

Fatt Butcher about their experience on the Voice UK

For them, “it was an amazing opportunity to get what I do right into the homes of so many people who might otherwise never come across drag.”

A massive Kate Bush fan - the singer picked her song This Woman's Work for their performance. 

They said: “I've kind of loved her music my whole life. And I sort of knew that if I was going to get this opportunity to go out and sing something for the nation, I wanted to take something that was very important to me and felt very personal. She is one of the greatest artists of our time. And I've been so happy that she's had a resurgence in the last few years with Running up that Hill in Stranger Things kind of bringing Kate back to the popular consciousness.”

On the day of the performance, after 13 gruelling hours they were finally out on the stage, and amid the nerves and excitement, they performed an amazing cover of the song.

Fatt Butcher said: “We were there for, when I actually got on stage - we had been in the studio for 13 hours. At that point you're kind of like you really are ready and try to be as in that moment as I could. 

“I feel like I can't really remember a lot of it. And I just sort of had to tune everything out. Really the band is with you, you've got the focus. You wait for about 30 seconds on stage and complete silence before you start. Whilst they were adjusting the sound of getting everything ready. And that felt like the longest time of my life.”

One of the best moments that was not shown on TV is their friends being called on stage with them. 

They said: “Will.i.am invited everyone up on stage. So, all of my friends who were with me and who are amazing artists that I get to work with in the city as well ran on to the stage and we all had this group hug in the middle. No one got to see that on TV but for me like that's my takeaway memory of it. The judges had amazing things to say, it was really incredible and it was kind of overwhelming. 

“I think Tom Jones really connected with the emotion of the song but that's ultimately why I picked him and you know, obviously he is an absolute legend.”

Fatt Butcher on LGBTQ+ acceptance in Birmingham 

They said: “We are all living through really difficult times at the moment and in Birmingham, as well as nationally, we've seen that there's been a massive rise in incidents of hate crime and that includes homophobic and transphobic hate crime, just generally like a sense of hostility and sometimes I think, navigating the world as an LGBTQ+ person can be difficult. 

“There’s an amazing community in Birmingham. This is a city that has shown me so much love and support. And I think that we have to remember that this city is made up of all the kinds of different people that are here, all these different communities, that coexist, and fight, and, and struggle, and celebrate and love. 

“I think the queer community has always been part of Birmingham. It's not going anywhere, you know, so people got to get used to it but also that there's so much joy and light and celebration to be found in our communities and what we do.” 

They have released their cover of This Woman's Work as a single that you can download ahead of World AIDS Day on December 1. 100% of the profits are going to go to support the National AIDS Trust.