G4's Lewis Raines heads back to Blackpool and The Fylde College

Lewis Raines, from the operatic X Factor chart-topping group G4, returned to his home town in a bid to inspire teenagers at Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC).

The Lytham-born tenor graduated from the college with a Musical Theatre degree in 2011.

He went on to train as an opera singer at The Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London.

Lewis, reflecting on his time at B&FC during a workshop with current students, said:

“I was able to gain a place at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of music and dance because of the valuable training at B&FC. The staff gave me a real experience of the work ethic and discipline required to become a professional performer.

“ I am really excited to return to Blackpool today to speak to the students and meet up with the fantastic tutors who inspired me to pursue my career path.”

Lewis added: “I loved it, this place was amazing. It’s just such a good community, such a special place. I have dyslexia and when I came to B&FC I was so lucky to have all the learning support I did. I was given an hour of support every week to work on my essays and dissertations and without that I probably would have failed, so a massive thank you to all those people who helped me.”

Lewis joined the four-piece last summer after one of the original members, Ben Thapa, left to pursue his career as a solo opera singer with the Welsh National Opera. Since joining G4, Lewis has performed in two extensive UK tours.