A teenage singer cut short a family holiday and flew to Paris alone after being offered the chance to perform in front of Hollywood stars Tom Holland and Zendaya.
Josh Blake, 17, from Trowbridge, was on a cruise to Norway with his parents when he received a message from pianist Julien Cohen inviting him to take part in a musical surprise connected with Spider-Man: Brand New Day .
With just around a week’s notice, Josh got off the cruise at the next port while his parents, Barry and Joanne, continued their holiday.
He then flew to Paris alone for the first time, where his older sister Lauren travelled from Bristol to join him.
Josh said he was still in shock after meeting the stars at the premiere earlier this year.
He said: “About a week before I heard from Julien who DM’d me and said it was a very cool opportunity, and I didn’t want to miss it.
“So, I got off at the next port and flew to Paris on my own for the first time while my parents stayed on the cruise.
“My sister came over from Bristol to join me there.
“It was such a surreal experience and nothing I’ve ever done before.”
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Josh performed Sia’s Titanium and afterwards met Tom Holland and Zendaya.
He said: “I got to meet Zendaya and Tom after the performance. It was so exciting.
“We had a chat and we hugged.
“I grew up watching these actors, so to sing in front of them was, again, surreal.”
Josh says footage of his performance has since amassed more than 300 million views combined across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
He added: “I can’t believe the video of my performance has gotten over 300 million views.
“All my friends were shocked. It was a surprise for them. We all went to watch the film together.”
The youngster previously attended St Laurence School in Trowbridge before going on to study music at Bath College.
He began singing around five years ago after having lessons in Year 7 and later started carol singing.
At 14, Josh began busking with the support of his dad, an experience he credits with building his confidence.
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He has since performed at open mic sessions and busked in Bath, as well as becoming a finalist on The Voice Kids .
But Josh hopes the Paris experience is only the beginning.
He said: “I want to start writing my own original music and collaborate with other musicians.”
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