A star of Channel 4’s The Undateables is singing for England at an international competition for |people with learning disabilities.

Singer-songwriter Daniel Wakeford, 26, of Hangleton, will perform at the European Song Festival on May 2 in Stockholm.

“I’m excited. I will try and win for England,” said Daniel, who has autism.

He will compete against 12 other entrants from across Europe.

 

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Daniel performs regularly at festivals and gigs including at The Blue Camel Club, an event organised by the Brighton charity Carousel, which promotes people with learning disabilities in the arts.

Daniel, who writes all his own songs, will sing The Black of Lonely with a live band for the first time in Sweden.

One of his latest songs, “I Love Girlfriend” is about his appearance on “The Undateables”, which aired in January and followed the dating exploits of a group of extraordinary people.

“I had fun on the programme. It was very cool,” said Daniel.

Daniel first sang to an audience when he performed “Unchained Melody” at his parents’ 25th wedding anniversary in 2007.

“Up until then he wouldn’t even walk into a room full of people without having his eyes shut. And then he stood up and belted it out. You could have heard a pin drop, and then when he finished the place erupted,” said Daniel’s mother Carol, 55, a business manager.

His two studio albums, Daniel Wakeford and Daniel Wakeford 2, are available to listen to and download at rockhouserecords.bandcamp.com.