The full-time bricklayer/part-time singer was hoping to persuade  coach Joe Jonas to choose him for his team following his rendition of Coming Home by Sheppard. But it was Delta Goodrem who snapped him up.

“Delta was my second choice … but I just like how strong she is as a person, how far she’s come and the journey she’s had. She’s still going to this day which it’s been a while,” he said.

But it wasn’t just vocal tones Karkowski scored praise for. Both Goodrem and fellow coach Kelly Rowland commented on the blonde-haired, tattooed brickie’s visual appeal, making him feel “very flattered”.

Though it was Jonas’ words that really stuck after his performance.

“He didn't turn and I was wondering why,” Karkowski said. “He was hoping for me to go somewhere with the song and he didn't think I did, so I really took that in because it’s positive criticism for me.”

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The tradie described having a million thoughts going through his head before stepping on stage but he’d “never felt so ready for something” in his life.

The passion for singing came when he was around 14-years-old, watching Australian Idol and wanting to be amongst the action like the contestants.

“I never felt confident, I never felt I was at that level I could go on a TV show. So I got singing lessons about two to three years ago and then after that,  Last year, I just thought ‘I think I’m ready’. So I had a big crack at it and I made it on there,” he said.

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Contestants who make it through to the ‘knockouts’ go head-to-head in groups of three as they perform a song their coach has chosen within a theme. If they make it through this they perform against one other in a ‘battle’ before performing on the ‘live shows’.

The ultimate winner of The Voice receives a recording contract with Universal Music Australia and $100,000 in prize money.