Sherlon Russell blew us all away with his amazing voice and walked away as the winner of the 16th season of Digicel Rising Stars last night.
He is also the first wildcard to ever win Digicel Rising Stars – which is no easy feat! When we bring back a wildcard into the show, they have to work twice as hard to win. They have to build that fan base others have had from the beginning and prove to the judges and fans that they can consistently perform.
Sherlon’s win goes to show that no matter how disadvantaged you think you are, no matter how the odds seem stacked against you, as long as you have the right mindset, you can achieve great things. He came in with the right mindset – staying true to himself and his authentic image, no matter how much he was told that his “boy scout” image would not appeal to the masses. And it worked!
His journey also has me reminiscing on my journey on Digicel Rising Stars thus far. Television hosting was never a part of my plan or career trajectory, but someone suggested I try it out and I loved it. Even though I didn’t have the background or the experience, I jumped in, learned on the job, kept a positive mindset and now I have been the longest running host of the show so far.
Here’s a look at some of my favourite moments on stage this season…
Photos courtesy of Digicel Jamaica
