SINGER Jessica Sweetman has been performing in front of thousands of people as a support act on pop legend Sir Cliff Richard's UK tour.

Jessica, from Looe, opened the Cliff Richard and Military Wives show at Powderham Castle in Devon at the weekend. The singer-songwriter had also toured with Sir Cliff at Warwick Castle, Hatfield House and Hove Cricket Ground.

'The first night was amazing,' said Jessica. 'I performed before 10,000 people and I loved every minute.

'After the Powderham show, I chatted to Sir Cliff about Nashville and country music. I thanked him for having me on his tour but he said, "No, thank you".

'I couldn't fault him – he was lovely.'

Twenty-four-year-old Jessica left Looe for Soho, London, three years ago, to pursue her career in music. During her first week there she supported Finlay Quaye.

Further exciting times lie ahead as she will be travelling to Spain to the Benicassum Festival to perform in the line-up on July 20 which includes headliners The Arctic Monkeys and The Killers. She will be supporting Keane on August 25 in London.

Jessica, who describes her music genre as commercial acoustic pop 'n' blues, spends much of her time in between gigs writing her own material, and is now in the throes of recording her original material at Dean Street Studios in Soho, used by such names as David Bowie, Florence and The Machine and Paloma Faith. There will be an EP release in August and an album later in the year. 

She has also become friends with, and is writing in collaboration with, Lloyd Wade, who sang with Eliza Doolittle on the hit Pack Up Your Troubles.