A catering assistant who taught himself to rap is through to the final stages of a major music competition.

Luke Deamer, 26, of Bertram Road, Enfield, competed on Sunday against 500 people in a two-minute audition for a place in the regional finals in March.

The winner of the Live and Unsigned competition will perform at the Live Fest music festival at The 02 and will receive £20,000 for publicity and investment.

Mr Deamer, who wrote his first rap song four years ago, said: “It was kind of deep. I got bored of life and it got to a point where I didn’t want it anymore. Life just wasn’t offering me enough. I knew I needed to do something so I started writing a song.

“I wasn’t nervous before the auditions – I was still half asleep to be honest. I didn’t have time to get worked up — I was in the zone.”

Mr Deamer, who only told his family he was taking part a few days before the audition, said: “They didn’t believe I was going to do it but I was really focused and determined to do it.”

He performed a chorus from his album, Welcome to the story, which he started in 2007 and took two years to complete.

He has spent the past four years performing at open mic nights throughout London and said he was pleased with the positive reactions he has received from the public.

He said he was not trying to get too emotional about the competition, but were he to win the money, he would spend it on music equipment, studio time and producers.

He will compete against 100 other finalists at The Beck Theatre in Hayes, Middlesex, on March 11.