‘The Voice’ Alum and ‘Love of Her Life’ Tie the Knot

Rachael Leahcar, a singer who gained fame after participating in the first season of The Voice Australia, married the “love of her life” on Nov. 25. Leahcar, 28, and Chris Johinke exchanged vows in the Adelaide Hills in front of 100 guests. The singer has released five albums and is an advocate for raising awareness of Retinitis Pigmentosa. She was diagnosed with the eye disease and is legally blind.

“It’s been the perfect day and I couldn’t be happier,” Leahcar told The Advertiser of her wedding. “We’ve been planning this for almost two years and I’m so excited… I know I’m marrying the love of my life.” Leahcar wore a dress by Bridal Fusion. Her guide dog Jarvis and her retired guide dog Ella also attended the wedding at The Manor Basket Range.

Leahcar met Johinke, 34, at one of her shows seven years ago. They got engaged in February 2021. “It feels like we met just yesterday but at the same time, it also feels like we’ve been together forever,” Leahcar said. “I’m very grateful and very lucky.”

Leahcar was born in Adelaide with Retinitis Pigmentosa and is legally blind. After performing throughout her early teens, she competed on The Voice Australia and impressed all four coaches, who spun their chairs around and hoped she would join their team. She chose Delta Goodrem, and she finished in third place. During the finale, she performed an original song, “Shooting Star.” After the show wrapped, she signed a record deal with Universal Music Australia and released her first single, “Coming Home Again,” in 2012. Her first album, Shooting Star, was released that same year.

Since her success on The Voice Australia, Leahcar has released four more albums, including the 2019 Christmas album Together for Christmas. She has also helped raise awareness for Retinitis Pigmentosa and takes speaking engagements. “Kids ask all the questions, so I would answer. And I’m glad that I could give them that opportunity to learn about someone different from them,” Leahcar told Feros Care last tear.

In the same interview, Leahcar said she was attracted to music at an early age because it helped her feel like a normal person. “I’ve always loved music – it’s a place that I felt like a normal person,” she explained. “Because I was so in tune with my ears, I picked up on sound a lot. Music was something I could feel empowered with.”

Leahcar has never let her vision impairment get in the way of her dreams. “I have tunnel vision, short-sightedness, night blindness … and it deteriorates over time,” she said last year. “But, it hasn’t really stopped me from doing anything I’ve ever wanted to do. Sometimes, much to my parents’ dismay!”