PERFORMER Colm McCarthy will be speaking about how his time living on the streets has influenced his music career during a radio show airing on Monday night.

Colm, 45, will also be performing three songs on The Late Show, being broadcast across the South West’s BBC network between 11pm and 11.30pm.

The singer-songwriter, originally from County Cork, moved to England when he was 16 and after some problems, found himself living rough on the streets and later spent some time in prison.

Colm, who now lives in Akers Way, Moredon, said: “The things I was sent to prison for were things that I was doing to survive – like nicking food.

“While I was in my cell, I’d mime to music, when it played, and it made me think that music is what I wanted to do.”

For the last 30 years Colm, who is known as Puff Paddy, has been gigging while he also works as a builder.

And he believes Monday’s programme will be a good opportunity to raise his profile further.

On the Late Show he will be performing Jealousy, The Meaning of Life and People.

“I would describe myself as a songwriter rather than a singer but I perform in every kind of genre; rap, rock or blues, you name it,” he said.

“I’m hoping that being featured on the show will raise me higher up the BBC’s stations and it would be a dream to get on to Radio 1.

“I’ve already recorded the show and it reallywas quite a fun experience. I’ve done quite a lot of stuff on Swindon 105.5 in the past so I wasn’t nervous or anything like that.”

Colm has lived in Swindon for around 20 years. At Christmas, he released a song to raise funds to support homeless people.

The track was in aid of Christmas Care, who work to let homeless people stay at Queen’s Drive Methodist Church over the festive period.

To hear some of Colm’s music visit https://soundcloud.com/puff-paddy.