Singer Craig steps into the shoes of music superstar George Michael

For the singer-songwriter is currently on a nationwide tour playing the part of George Michael in The Best Of Wham!

Craig, 29, from West Green in Crawley, describes himself as a born performer. “I’ve been singing since I could really open my mouth.”

He rose to fame last year when he got through to the live quarter finals of BBC TV’s Let It Shine competition which sought stars for a special Take That-themed stage show.

He dazzled a panel of judges made up of Gary Barlow, Dannii Minogue, Martin Kemp and Amber Riley.

And now it’s led to his leading role in the Wham! production currently touring the south following stints in the Midlands, Manchester and Liverpool. Craig takes to the stage to sing all the best Wham! hits with fellow singer Toby Falla in the role of Andrew Ridgeley, and also sings some of George Michael’s solo classics.

Along with ‘Wham!, the show features 80s-style singers in the roles of Pepsi and Shirlie. In their heyday, Wham! sold more than 28 million records, topping the charts with three albums, four number one singles and eleven top ten hits.

Craig’s role as George Michael comes after he firmly established himself on the music scene.

He has in fact been training since he was eight years old when he joined Stagecoach theatre school in Crawley.

He also trained at the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon, which counts Adele, Jessie J and Amy Winehouse among its former students.

He went on to do a degree in musical theatre performance at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London and later worked as a singing waiter at Archer Street cocktail bar in Soho.

Now back home in Crawley, amid touring, Craig is planning to treat his mum Lesley to a special birthday treat this week - he’s got her a ticket to watch him perform in the Wham! tour when it arrives in Bromley on Monday.

”Unfortunately, we don’t have any dates in Crawley at the moment,” said Craig, but the tour will be in Horsham in September.