The Voice's Jeramie reveals debilitating health scare: 'Maybe I'm not going to make it!'
The mum of two opens up about the illness that nearly cost her her voice - and life! Loading the player. . . Filipino-born mum of two Jeramie has always dreamed of a moment like this. After years. . .
The mum of two opens up about the illness that nearly cost her her voice - and life!Loading the player. . . Filipino-born mum of two Jeramie has always dreamed of a moment like this. After years away from the stage, she stepped intoThe Voice AustraliaBlind Auditions with her dad’s visa freshly approved and a health battle behind her that once left her unsure she’d sing again. Woman’s Daycaught up with Jeramie to talk family, faith and her journey to the stage. (Credit: Seven)How long have you been singing for?I’ve been singing since I was a child, back in the Philippines, but I haven’t really sung on a big stage since I’ve been in Australia. It was almost like a new thing again for me, because I was so busy beingat homeand being withmy kids. When you first arrived in Australia, did you ever imagine you’d be appearing on one of our biggest TV shows?No, I knew that when I came here, I’d be starting from zero. No connections, no anything, so there was no expectation at all. The truth is, I haven’t really had any gigs – I’m only singing in church. I’m part of the choir and I’m on social media, mostly on Facebook, but if you would compare me to other contestants onThe Voice, I’m nowhere near where they are. We haveThe Voicein the Philippines too and I’ve always wanted to be on that stage, but I was never the right age, so now coming toThe Voice Australia, it’s so unreal. I almost thought I was going to pass out!Are you hoping your profile grows after appearing on The Voice?Yeah, I hope so. I do hope I’ll grow my following and connect more with Australian audiences because most of my audience are Filipinos. I was actually in a talent competition there as well in 2016. I was only 17 when that happened. [Jeramie is now 26. ]Viewers will see you perform a rendition ofBecause You Loved Meby Celine Dion in the Blind Auditions this week. Why did you dedicate the song to your dad?When I was doing the rehearsals in Sydney I was really shaking and thinking “No one’s going to turn. ” I sounded really bad. I hadn’t been on stage for so long. I was in the hotel room and my husband [Scott] asked me, “Can you practise it again?” I started thinking in my head about a photo of me and my dad when I was 11. And I sang the song, and my husband was crying after that, and he said, “What you did just then, that’s what you gotta do on the Blinds!” I wasn’t even looking much at the audience when I was doing my Blinds. I was looking where my family was. I was looking at my dad. I was looking at my kids and my husband. I don’t think I had much connection with the audience to be honest because I was just dedicating the whole song to them, especially for my dad. It was such a special moment. Prior to the Blinds, I hadn’t seen my dad for more than two years. He only had his visa granted a week before we came to Sydney for the auditions!How do your kids feel about Mum being on TV?My three-year-old is constantly asking, “Is Mum going to be on TV?” whenever we’re watchingThe Voice. He’s very excited. (Credit: Supplied)Are you a big Celine Dion fan?Yeah, I am. Oh my goodness, that would be a dream come true! I would be jumping up and down if she ever sees it. I mean, she’s a legend. I’ve watched her growing up for years, so that would mean a lot tome if she sees it. What would winning the show mean to you?Winning the show would mean everything to me. There was actually one Filipino who wonThe VoiceUSA maybe two years ago, and it meant so much being represented on an international stage. I come from a very humble family. Just being able to perform on this show is a big thing but winning it, that’s next level!You’ve overcome some health challenges with your lungs to get here too. Did you ever think you’d be able to sing like this again?No! In 2018 I found out that I was very sick. I had a litre of fluid in my lungs and it couldn’t be cured by antibiotics any more. It was shrinking one of my lungs. It was really hard for me to breathe. I’d have to sit down every time I walked anywhere and I couldn’t sleep and every night I just remember thinking “Maybe I’m not going to make it. ” I was just praying, “Lord, please help my family when I’m not here,” you know? It’s been like eight years now and it’s actually been a blessing because after the surgery, I felt better in singing because it felt like such a miracle. Prior to that, I was always having a hard time trying to breathe. What would you do with the $100,000 cash prize if you won?A house deposit, I guess, because right now we’re renting. I would love to record more songs. Winning that would mean that I could have my parents or my little sister visit here too. Olivia O'BrienEntertainment EditorOlivia O’Brien is the Entertainment Editor ofWoman’s Day,Australia's best-selling women's weekly magazine. With over twenty years of experience writing for magazines in Australia and the UK, she has covered countless red carpets, interviewed numerous celebrities and is an expert in TV, movies and entertainment. She has worked across multiple titles includingWHO,OK!, andNWin Australia, before heading over to London to cover showbiz for UK publicationsNowandStar. She has also reported for celebrity authorityPeople. The adventures of the job have been endless, from getting a lift to the train station by a kind Spice Girl in her Range Rover to asking a then-unknown Kim Kardashian to take a pic of Olivia and Paris Hilton together after an interview. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communications from The University of Sydney. When she isn’t pulling together the entertainment pages forWoman’s Day, Olivia is busy chauffeuring her three kids around. 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