Britain’s Got Talent winner reveals they’re going back to school despite £250,000 prize
Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas has revealed how she plans to go back to school—even after bagging the £250,000 prize.
The singer, 29, walked away with the jackpot after triumphing in the ITV talent competition last year. This made her the first female solo artist to take the crown… or the first female solo artist without a dog by her side, at least.
Her euphoric version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow saw her beat out 10 other finalists to claim the prize money—and a spot on the Royal Variety Performance.
Prior to finding fame, Sydnie was working at a gym in central London, a day job she returned to after initially auditioning for the show (with a golden buzzer-winning rendition of Tomorrow from Annie).
In the months that followed, she went on to win the competition and perform at the Royal Variety Performance, next to the likes of Eurovision winner Nemo and Murder on the Dancefloor singer Sophie-Ellis Bextor.
For her next move, Sydnie plans to finish off her studies.
In an interview with The Mirror, Sydnie divulged her hopes for the future, which involve completing her qualification as a personal trainer.
‘I’m going back to school in March. I’m going to finish my Level Three PT qualification. It’s good to have something, just in case,’ she said.
Hopefully, she can get a good reference, though, as she was ultimately fired before she could quit her day job at the gym.
Describing what happened, Sydnie told The Sun last year: ‘I’m not working at the gym anymore, and I actually stayed on the rota because I didn’t know how life was going to kick off.
‘And then I said, “Let me stay on the front in case I can help anyone,” but then suddenly there was no time.
‘And then they said to me, “Sydnie, I’m going to have to fire you but we’re very happy to do it”.’
‘My Way’
After winning BGT, Sydnie released her debut album, My Way, which came out in October last year.
However, fame hasn’t gone to her head, with Sydnie revealing that she still doesn’t get recognised outside of her TV appearances.
‘When people see me on telly or anything like that, I’m Sydnie Christmas, but 99% of the time I am just Syd with my trackies on and my hair in a bun. I can go about my life, and I don’t get recognised,’ she told Metro last year.
The songstress will embark on her first tour next month, starting on February 9 at the King’s Theatre in Glasgow before playing at venues across the UK until the end of the month.
The show will return to ITV1 this year with an all-new start date and schedule. As reported last August, the talent show will air for up to four months in 2025 – with the start date being brought forward to February instead of April.
Throughout its extended run, it will air every Saturday night with the five semi-finals broadcasting weekly instead of on consecutive evenings.
Judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and Bruno Tonioli will all be returning – along with a temporary judge (and stand-in for Bruno) in rapper and boxer KSI.
With the auditions having already been filmed, the show is expected to return to screens in February.
Tickets for Sydnie Christmas’s My Way Tour are on sale now.
Britain’s Got Talent winner reveals they’re going back to school despite £250,000 prize