'I'm excited for this Christmas with my new voice'

A man who relies on text-to-speech software to communicate is preparing for his first Christmas with his very own voice.

Christian Wilson, 22, from Bromsgrove, made headlines earlier this year with his search for a new voice to replace his "robotic" one.

Following an appeal, two men were chosen to have their voices combined and digitised to give Mr Wilson a voice with an authentic accent.

"I've been able to do lots of things that I didn't feel confident doing before I had my new voice," said Mr Wilson. "It has given me a new perspective on my life, which I never had before."

Mr Wilson has verbal dyspraxia, a difficulty in placing muscles in the correct position to produce speech.

After Stephen Robotham, from Warwickshire, and Martin Brennan, from Birmingham, volunteered, experts combined recordings of their speech to give Mr Wilson his own, unique voice.

Mr Wilson said he was looking forward to spending the festive season with his family.

"I'm excited for Christmas like no other this year, because I have my new voice," he said.

"My family love my new voice, they want to hear it more. They've definitely noticed a more confident side to me."

Having graduated from the University of Worcester this summer, Mr Wilson has big plans for 2025 - including learning to drive and getting a job.

"Also, I hope to share my research ideas as I look to help others to ensure a more inclusive environment for all," he said.

And having achieved his lifelong aim of having his own voice, Mr Wilson shared a Christmas message for anyone else with a big dream.

"Don't stop believing," he said.

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