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The Voice’s Nathan Foley: Why I REALLY left Hi-5

It was a difficult decision
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Kids entertainer turned The Voice Australia star Nathan Foley has opened up about the most difficult decision he has ever had to make: leaving the popular kids’ group Hi-5 which he starred in from 1999 to 2008.

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WATCH this video to see Nathan’s audition for The Voice!

If anyone is familiar with the double take, it’s Nathan.

The 39-year-old Australian singer admitted he still gets inquisitive stars in public.

“Still to this day I get inundated with inbox messages on Instagram and my Facebook,” he tells New Idea.

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Signed onto Hi-5 at the age of 18, Nathan says it was a big decision leaving the group which made him famous.

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Nathan (second from left) with his Hi-5 co-stars in 2008 (Credit: Getty Images)

“It was a beautiful, beautiful job,” he says of his decade long stint with Hi-5 co-stars Charli Robinson, Tim Harding, Kellie Crawford and Kathleen de Leon Jones.

“I left Hi-5 because I just felt like it was my time. Ten years I put in – I put in all the hard yards.

“I got to the point where I was just like, you know what, I kind of missed doing my solo shows and having control of my own destiny.”

After departing Hi-5, Nathan appeared on Channel Ten’s reality series I Will Survive, hosted by Hugh Sheridan in 2012.

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While he’s never stopped performing – spending much of the past 10 years aboard cruise ships, Nathan says he’s nervous to return to the public eye in Australia following his prior reality TV experience.

“I had all these fears,” he admits.

“When I did I Will Survive, there was a bit of backlash online, saying, ‘Why is he doing this show? he’s loaded, he doesn’t need money.’

“But honestly, when you think about it… Hi-5 to the Wiggles, we were very different entities. The Wiggles owned their product, we were employees of Hi-5, so even though we were the front of it, they looked after us, but we weren’t the owners, so as soon as you finish, you don’t get paid anymore.”

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Taking the blind audition stage this week, Nathan hopes The Voice will allow him to return to work in the music industry at
home in Australia.

“Still gotta pay the bills,” he laughs.

The Aussie heartthrob faced The Voice coaches Delta Goodrem, Boy George, Guy Sebastian and Kelly Rowland on Sunday night.

Foley belted out Kenny Loggins’ classic Footloose and won the support of Delta and Boy George!

Speaking to 9Honey, 39-year-old Nathan revealed it feels great to finally achieve recognition as a solo artist.

“I’ve been a soloist since I was 10 years old, but I didn’t get the opportunity to showcase that as I was always Nathan from Hi-5.

“I really wanted to get up on stage to prove myself and say this is the real me and show Australia who I am.”

And he’s not the only Australian icon attempting a comeback on Nine’s hit reality TV show.

Ex Australian Idol finalist and Wasabi singer Lee Harding also caused a stir late last month with his performance of Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name which won him a chair turn from each of the four judges.

Hot on Nathan’s heels, onetime Australia’s Got Talent winner Jack Vidgen stunned viewers and judges alike with his rendition of Adele’s smash hit Hello in Monday night’s episode.

The Voice Australia continues on Channel 9 this Sunday at 7pm.

For more, pick up the latest copy of New Idea on sale now!

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(Credit: NEW IDEA)

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