MIKE CHRISTIE

Mike started singing professionally at the age of 8 when he was a chorister for five years, during which time he appeared in the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral and sang on various soundtracks including The Browning Version and The Ref. Mike then went on to study music for four years at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he gained a scholarship and a bachelor of music degree with honours.

In 2004 at the same time as graduating Mike auditioned as a quarter of the vocal group G4 on the first ever series of the hit TV show The X Factor and this was to change his life forever. Four friends studying together ended up Runners-Up from 50,000 applicants. G4 subsequently sold over three million records, with their début album selling over 245,000 in its first week alone, and was the fastest selling album of the year in the UK. They also released a 'Live at The Royal Albert Hall' DVD, published an autobiographical book 'G4: Our Way', duetted with Lesley Garrett, Robin Gibb, Stephen Gately and Sir Cliff Richard, performed at the The Royal Albert Hall more than a dozen times, and have had the roller-coaster ride G-Force named after them, which they opened at Drayton Manor Theme Park.

Mike has made over one hundred TV appearances including Through The Keyhole, Blue Peter, This Morning - twelve times, The South Bank Show and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. He has embarked on five solo tours across the UK, released three self-penned solo albums, made his pantomime début as Prince Charming in two contrasting productions of Cinderella in Exeter and Ludlow and also made his musical theatre début as the lead role of Flaminio Scala in the European Première of Ahrens & Flaherty's The Glorious Ones in London.
 

He has also has starred in the World Premiere of the musical San Domino (playing Claudio), and made his opera debut in the role of Prince Gremin in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, followed by Geronte de Revoir in Manon Lescaut, Banquo in Verdi's Macbeth, the Duke of Norfolk in Saint-Saëns' Henry VIII, plus he has also sung his dream role in Mendelssohn's Elijah. At Opera Holland Park, Mike has performed in Mascagni's Iris, Puccini's La bohème, Tchaikowsky's The Queen of Spades, Leoncavallo's Zazà, Janáček's Káťa Kabanová, Mascagni's Isabeau and Cilea's L'arlesiana, and in Verdi's Requiem for their memorial concert to support those affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.

Mike wrote an opera called The Miller's Wife which premièred at the Arcola Theatre, London as part of the Grimeborn Opera Festival – the London equivalent of Glyndebourne, where he wrote the plot, libretto and music, all of which was inspired by a discovery he made in his family tree. He is currently writing his second opera.

In 2018, Mike founded the Wight Proms Festival; the annual outdoor proms festival in Cowes, which celebrates comedy, musical theatre, opera, country music, drag, dance, sport and classical music, and includes arts workshops for children, which this year celebrate its seventh outing.

After the catastrophic devastation of the arts industry due to Coronavirus, where Mike lost all his work overnight, he decided to diversify by performing two live shows online every Wednesday night, totalling over 200 shows over the lockdowns, taught singing virtually from home, and released his third solo album 'The Mike Must Go On'. Mike was delighted to be a winner of the 'Isle of Wight Radio's Heroes of Lockdown Award' for keeping up people's spirits up during the pandemic, with his live music, and the addressing of his audience's mental health.

Mike has written songs to commemorate Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee called 'The Heartbeat of Our Nation', the official song for Stage 8 of the Tour of Britain cycling race, and 'Walk the Wight With You', the official song for Walk the Wight, which is the largest sponsored walk in Europe, to celebrate its 35th anniversary in aid of Mountbatten Hospice.

In 2024, G4 celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band since their appearance on The X Factor, with the release of a brand-new studio album, and over 100 headline tour dates across the UK.

This year G4 launched their brand-new tour concept called 'Phantoms of the Popera' which showcases the best of the West End and Broadway, with 53 dates across the UK, Ireland and Channel Islands. This festive season will see the return of the 39-date 'G4 Christmas' tour in cathedrals, abbeys, minsters and halls across the UK in November and December, starting with two preview shows at Newport Minster on 6th and 7th November.

Mike is an Ambassador for Independent Arts, Mountbatten Hospice and Missing People UK. Next year he will be launching a new festival on the island, so watch this space!