THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL: THE WHITNEY HOUSTON SHOW Starring Belinda Davids To Tour The UK

She won the hearts of millions of British TV viewers on BBC One's Even Better Than The Real Thing, went viral on Facebook with over 12 million views and in America, TV host Steve Harvey was speechless when she performed on Showtime At The Apollo.

Now Belinda Davids and her critically acclaimed The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show is to return to the UK for a 25-date national tour from Friday 26 October to Wednesday 28 November.

Davids made her British TV debut in 2017 and left viewers stunned by the similarities between the South-African born singer and the late pop diva. She went on to be crowned winner of the Even Better Than The Real Thing and a 9-date tour of major UK theatres followed, culminating in an unforgettable night at London's Hammersmith Eventim Apollo.

All the media attention in the UK led to an invitation to appear on stage at Harlem's legendary Apollo Theatre - where Whitney recorded the video for 'The Greatest Love of All' - before its famously critical audience. It was an intense and nerve-wracking occasion but her rendition of Whitney's 'I Will Always Love You' received a standing ovation from one of New York's harshest audiences, and Davids now counts the experience as one of her career highlights.

Belinda Davids is no stranger to being the best of the best. In 2012, she auditioned against over 15,000 hopefuls from all over the world to play the part of her idol, Whitney Houston in a new show designed to showcase her incredible legacy. The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show opened to critical acclaim and has since toured the globe, wowing audiences across the US, Canada, Europe, South Africa, Asia, UAE, Australia and New Zealand. A lifelong fan of the global superstar, Belinda first heard her voice at the age of 8, on her brother's LP of 'Hold Me' by Whitney Houston and Teddy Pendergrass. She was hooked, and this started a love affair that would last a lifetime, and would eventually lead to her starring role in the show, a dazzling spectacle of pop at its finest.

The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show is a live concert featuring the breathtaking vocal talent of Davids with a fun, heartfelt and uplifting homage to Whitney Houston. Accompanied by a live band and dancers, Davids performs over two hours of Houston's most loved pop hits live on stage. And there is no person better equipped to do so - critics have been blown away with her "jaw-droppingly similar" voice to the pop diva.

The show includes 20 of Houston's most popular tracks from the full span of her career, including 'I Will Always Love You', 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and 'I'm Every Woman', combined with replica costuming and full-scale lighting and effects to produce a spectacular concert experience that honours Houston's memory and celebrates her musical legacy.

The UK autumn tour launches at Perth Concert Hall on Friday 26 October 2018, before heading to Carlisle, Wolverhampton, Eastbourne, High Wycombe, Crawley, Swansea, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Gateshead, Clacton, Skegness, Dartford, Halifax, York, Southend,
Southampton, Rhyl, Ipswich, Poole, Basingstoke, Reading, Portsmouth and Southport. It's a must-see for diehard Whitney fans and anyone who wants to spend a night with the queen of pop herself.

Directed by Johnny Van Grinsven. Produced by Flying Entertainment and Showtime Australia.

For accomplished South African songstress Belinda Davids, starring in The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show is the culmination of a life-long connection with the superstar to whom she pays homage.

Davids beat almost 15,000 other hopefuls to take on the role and it was her own eternal love of Whitney that prepared her for the show. Exposed mainly to R&B and gospel as a child, Davids was innately drawn to Houston's musical style.

Singing professionally from her early teens, Houston songs became a fixture in Davids' live shows. "I think I've sung at least one Whitney track in almost every live show I've ever performed," says Davids.

Though she eventually carved out a successful career as a chart-topping solo artist and a session vocalist for such artists as The Temptations, Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, Monica and Johnny Gill, in her earlier days Davids encountered resistance from many industry professionals who were unsure how to work with her because she looked and sounded so exactly like Houston.

The ultimate realisation of Davids' affinity with Whitney occurred during a show in Hong Kong. Following a recital of 'I Will Always Love You', the audience was so astounded by her performance that they demanded she sing acapella to prove she wasn't lip-syncing.

Now representing her idol on stage, Davids feels destined: "I've essentially prepared my whole life for this show and I feel privileged to be able to honour Whitney in such a way."

The Greatest Love Of All: The Whitney Houston Show - 2018 autumn tour dates
Perth
Date: Friday 26 October 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Concert Hall
Box Office: 01738 621031

Carlisle
Date: Saturday 27 October 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: The Sands Centre
Box Office: 01228 633 766

Wolverhampton
Date: Sunday 28 October 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Grand Theatre
Box Office: 01902 429 212

Eastbourne
Date: Tuesday 30 October 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Devonshire Park Theatre
Box Office: 01323 412 000

High Wycombe
Date: Wednesday 31 October 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Swan Theatre
Box Office: 01494 512 000

Crawley
Date: Thurday 1 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: The Hawth
Box Office: 01293 553 636

Swansea
Date: Friday 2 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Grand Theatre
Box Office: 01792 475242

Blackpool
Date: Saturday 3 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Grand Theatre
Box Office: 01253 290 190

Edinburgh
Date: Sunday 4 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Festival Theatre
Box Office: 0131 529 6000

Sheffield
Date: Tuesday 6 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: City Hall
Box Office: 0114 278 9789

Gateshead
Date: Wednesday 7 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: The Sage
Box Office: 0191 443 4661

Clacton
Date: Friday 9 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Princess Theatre
Box Office: 01255 686 633

Skegness
Date: Saturday 10 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: The Embassy
Box Office: 01507 613 100

Dartford
Date: Sunday 11 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Orchard Theatre
Box Office: 01322 220 000

Halifax
Date: Tuesday 13 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Victoria Theatre
Box Office: 01422 351 158

York
Date: Wednesday 14 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Barbican
Box Office: 01904 600 025

Southend
Date: Thursday 15 November 2018 at 8.00pm
Venue: Cliff's Pavilion
Box Office: 01702 351 135

Southampton
Date: Friday 16 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Mayflower Theatre
Box Office: 02380 711 811

Rhyl
Date: Sunday 18 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Pavilion
Box Office: 01745 330 000

Ipswich
Date: Tuesday 20 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Regent
Box Office: 01473 433 100

Poole
Date: Thursday 22 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Lighthouse
Box Office: 01202 280000

Basingstoke
Date: Friday 23 November 2018 at 7.45pm
Venue: The Anvil
Box Office: 01256 844 244

Reading
Date: Saturday 24 November 2018 at 8.00pm
Venue: Hexagon
Box Office: 0118 960 6060

Portsmouth
Date: Sunday 25 November 2018 at 7.00pm
Venue: The Guildhall
Box Office: 0844 847 2362

Southport
Date: Tuesday 27 November 2018 at 7.30pm
Venue: Southport Theatre
Box Office: 0844 871 3021

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