Project Icon: Essex singer Charlie Baker appears on BBC show

The 22-year-old from Coggeshall said Jason Derulo was a "very nice bloke"

A singer-songwriter from Essex who appeared on a recent BBC reality TV contest says he has emerged from the experience a better artist - despite ultimately losing out.

Charlie Baker is one of 10 aspiring recording artists who appears on BBC Three's Project Icon.

The series is judged by singer Jason Derulo, Brit Award winner Becky Hill and music mogul Frank Harris.

The 22-year-old is preparing to release a new single, Kissin'.

"I'm extremely grateful for the experience because I was able to learn and grow so much just from the challenges they put us through," said Charlie.

"You really had to figure out the brand you want to represent and what sort of artist you want to be."

(l-r) Brit Award winner Becky Hill, Jason Derulo and music mogul Frank Harris fronted the show

Charlie and nine other contestants were put through their paces by the Project Icon judges

Project Icon, which arrived on BBC iPlayer on 26 March, sees artists compete in challenges reflecting the modern music industry, including a task to create a viral TikTok video.

Charlie, who describes himself as a pop-R&B artist, has already had mainstream exposure, including a song he co-wrote appearing on the 2022 summer edition of ITV2's Love Island.

He lives in Coggeshall, near Braintree, and works full-time in social media marketing.

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"I have been tempted by [appearing on] Love Island, but Project Icon was perfect," he told BBC Essex.

"This gave me the opportunity to get some exposure and be known for my music."

He described global US superstar Jason Derulo as a "very nice bloke".