Winner of The Voice Harrison Craig shares his bullying battle

CHILDHOOD bullying has tempered the steel within Harrison Craig, who captured the hearts of Australians to win Channel Nine's The Voice.

Harrison Craig, pictured on stage with his mentor Seal, at the final of The Voice. Picture: Cameron Richardson

CHILDHOOD bullying has tempered the steel within Harrison Craig.

The 18-year-old, who lived in Langwarrin until nine months ago, said the bullying and a stutter he has had since the age of three had helped harden his resolve to succeed in life.

Craig won Channel Nine's The Voice last week and said the culmination of life experiences had made him the performer he was today.

Craig said seeing his mentor, Seal, cry after the win had been particularly special and his Langwarrin singing teacher David Jaanz was also at the competition final in tears.

His album More Than A Dream will be released on Tuesday.

Craig, who moved with his family to Chelsea nine months ago after living in Langwarrin for four years, continues to visit his grandmother in the greater Frankston region.

"From stuttering to bullying - to having your father walk out on you it is the experiences that have made me strong," Craig said.

"In a way you can say thank you to those things that have made me into the kind of person I am today.

"And catching sight of Seal crying - because he's a really tough guy - it was one of those really beautiful moments."

Craig said he had faced bullying throughout his primary school years in Glen Waverley despite the best efforts of the school to stop it.

"It was pretty much from prep to the end of primary school and the school tried to curb the behaviour but sometimes there is no controlling the actions of individuals," he said.

"It was constantly the spoken word it was attack after attack and it was unfair for a person of that age it's a pretty tender time in anyone's life growing up. But it's kind of added determination to me as a whole."

Craig remembers the surprise he got after realising at the age of nine that he didn't stutter when he started learning to sing.

"It was like a soaring feeling to know that you could get it out, be confident and really smash it out there singing is so enjoyable," he said.

He said it was like having the "world on a string".

"Learning that I could sing without a stutter was one of the most beautiful moments in my life," he said.

"For me personally it was humbling to meet other people who have had the same problem that I did and who have been inspired by my music."

Craig said he had happy memories of living within the Frankston area and had sang at a festival on the Frankston foreshore within the last two years.

He said he didn't know whether he would ever meet his father.

"If it comes to pass I will cross that bridge when I come to it," he said.

His mother, Janine Craig, said her message to both her sons was always that "anything was achievable".

"I am proud of both my sons and very proud of Harrison's recent achievement," she said.

"His grandmother and the family are right behind him - we were all there crying at the final."