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The Eminem doppelganger discovered his skill in his early teens as he struggled with reading and writing after being diagnosed with dyslexia.

And the 30-year-old labourer overcame his demons when he got the chance to showcase his talent to a national audience after being chosen from hundreds of applicants to appear on Stars In Their Eyes.

The father-of-two, from Ashburton Street, Cobridge, said being able to imitate his idol was a dream come true.

He said: “I wanted to be on Stars In Their Eyes when I was a kid so it was a dream come true.

“I applied to be on the programme around November last year but I didn’t expect anything to come from it.

“I completed an online application and within 48 hours, I received a call asking me to come down to London for an audition."

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His obsession with the superstar started at school when Blake suffered with severe dyslexia.

And as an adult he has even styled himself to look exactly like the bleach-blonde rapper.

He said: “The reason I chose to appear as Eminem is because I think he is one of the best rappers in the world.

“I am a massive fan of his and it was his work that inspired me to start rapping.

“He is really clever with his lyrics and I have always had a fascination with words because of my dyslexia.

“I struggle with reading and writing so I used rapping to help me learn words and understand them.

“The only way I can learn the words in a song is by listening to it over and over again.

“However, I do have a good memory so it is easy for me to remember lots of different lyrics at the same time.”

Blake, who performs under the name B-Rizzle, travelled to London for filming last Sunday.

“It was an amazing experience to be on the show," he said.

“I have appeared in Stoke’s Top Talent a few times but it was quite different being on TV."

“All the contestants were treated like celebrities. I just felt like everything I had worked for in the past had been leading to this point," he added.

Blake performed Eminem’s hit song Lose Yourself on the ITV programme, but lost out to Christina Aguilera.

But Blakes family are very proud, despite him missing out on the Stars In Their Eyes crown.

Dad Barry Greenwell, aged 63, of Cloughwood Way, Tunstall, said: “Blake has always been into music from a young age.

“I used to be in a band as a bass player and when Blake was 10-years-old, he used to fill in for us as a drummer.

“He is very talented and it is great that he can write songs despite his difficulties with reading and writing. I don’t know how he does it but he manages somehow.

“We are all very proud of him and what he has achieved.”