![Russell Watson: From factory worker to performing for the Emperor of Japan Image](https://img.resized.co/shuffle/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2FydHdvcmsuY2FwdGl2YXRlLmZtXFxcL2RhY2QyODY4LWRmMDctNDBiMS05MGMxLTQxMzQ1OGZjZTM2MFxcXC9jNmFiN2E0OS1jNTgyLTQ4ZmMtOGE3ZC05NGQwMWRlMWM1MWYuanBnXCIsXCJ3aWR0aFwiOjI4MCxcImhlaWdodFwiOjI4MCxcImRlZmF1bHRcIjpcImh0dHBzOlxcXC9cXFwvd3d3LmdvbG91ZG5vdy5jb21cXFwvaW1hZ2VzXFxcL2xvZ28uc3ZnXCIsXCJvcHRpb25zXCI6W119IiwiaGFzaCI6IjU5NjljNWVkODY1MTZjMjk2MzNjZTc1NjQ3MDA0NmFkNTZlYmVlYmYifQ==/russell-watson-from-factory-worker-to-performing-for-the-emperor-of-japan.jpg)
Russell Watson: From factory worker to performing for the Emperor of Japan
19 July - 56 mins"I had this inner feeling that something would happen to take me away from my mundane life".
The first twenty years of Russell Watson's life were very ordinary. He grew up in Salford, left school at 16 with almost no qualifications and joined the government's Youth Training Scheme. By the age of 20, he was working on the shop floor of a factory, making nuts and bolts.
He started singing in local pubs and working men's clubs after winning a local talent competition organised by Manchester Piccadilly Radio. It was tough, and Russell considered giving up - until one night in Wigan changed everything.
Russell has gone on to become one of the UK's most popular classical artists, selling ove...
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Tony Blackburn: Escaping school, life at sea and landing the biggest job in radio
58 mins
6 September Finished
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Jordan Stephens: Heartbreak, hitting rock bottom and finding my way back from self-destruction
58 mins
30 August Finished
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Former Met Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu: I spent a year in therapy to get over what happened in my career
1 hour 7 mins
23 August Finished