Finding her Voice

For years, singing was something Bella Parnell kept to herself. She spent the 2021 lockdowns sitting in her Year 12 seniors jersey at home, singing and learning to play guitar. While she longed to step on to a real stage, she could never quite find the courage.

`For a few years in a row, I’d start filling out The Voice application form, then get to the submission button and never click it,’ she remembers of wanting to enter the top-rating TV talent quest. `Then one day I just decided I didn’t want to live with regret.’

In 2025 Bella—who went on to study Commerce at UNSW after School and was working in finance in Sydney—walked on stage in front of a nation. She didn’t expect to turn a single chair but made it all the way to The Voice grand finale.

Although she didn’t ultimately win, taking that leap of faith was a triumph that Bella hopes will inspire others battling self-doubt.

`It’s a reminder that sometimes you just have to take the leap. You never know where one brave `yes’ might take you.’

For Bella, it has made her a household name and opened the door to a dream career in music. She has maintained her connection with Voice coach Richard Marx, unsurprisingly shifting her focus from finance to music.

`We’ve been collaborating on some original music. He’s been sending me songs and I’ve been writing as well; just experimenting and figuring out what sound feels right for me.

`The show has given me such a new sense of perspective and motivation. Opportunities like this don’t come around often, so I just want to make the most of it, keep learning from people in the industry and share more music soon.’

Bella hopes to release an EP in the near future and is actually looking forward to gracing a few more stages around the country.

She has never forgotten her time at Girls Grammar, crediting the School and its teachers with instilling a confidence that eventually helped overcome her self-doubt.

`I was so lucky to have amazing teachers and mentors at Girls Grammar who influenced me in ways they probably didn’t even realise. They really cared and that genuine support meant a lot.

`That sense of connection and the quiet confidence the School gives you, stays with you long after you leave. It’s what gave me the courage to walk on that stage for The Voice.’

In the lead up to The Voice finale in November 2025, Bella took time out to return to BGGS to share her story and perform for students, even catching up with her former Year 6 buddy.