'I won Britain's Got Talent but it breaks my heart people are so against me'
Britain's Got Talent's 2024 winner Sydnie Christmas tells her story
Britain's Got Talent's winner Sydnie Christmas won the £250,000 prize money and she will perform at the Royal Variety Performance.
The singer, who rocketed to fame on the set of Britain's Got Talent, shared her experiences of winning the ITV show with Yahoo.
It breaks my heart that people are so against me.
Obviously people can have their favourites, that's fine, I don't mind that. There are other Britain Got Talent acts that I absolutely loved. It's when people are being unkind and it's false. They think they know my life and my career because they read things that are untrue and I can't compete with that.
It's soul destroying. If I stick up for myself, they're not going to hear it because they don't want to. They are very angry and it's really difficult as it takes away from this.
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I've worked really, really hard. All I've ever done was want this amazing thing to happen. I just wanted success. I wanted to do well and then to see what people are writing makes me really upset, it makes me really sad and it really contributed to how scared I was in the final and the semis.
Knowing that people are looking with a hateful eye is really difficult because I'm a really nice person. I want everyone to be okay. I want everyone to do well in their lives. I wish everybody happiness. Ultimately with my performing, yes I love it, but I do it for you. I do it because I want the audience to feel and be happy.
I've tried to say my peace, then people turn around and call me a fake and a liar. People are just being nasty and they don't want to hear my truth. It's my truth because I've lived my life. I just need to try and separate myself from it but it's broken my heart.
I was terrified to go last in the final on Sunday. We don't find out the line up until hours before. I really struggle with nerves and I've never felt nerves like this. People were so against me - I don't mind people having favourites - it was the people that were really nasty about me and my voice. I was shaking.
In the semi-final, I nearly didn't make it on the stage but of course I did. I was panicking. The people screaming in the theatre have got me through and given me the courage to make me go, 'You can do it Sid'. Everyone in that room was fantastic.
Winning Britain's Got Talent doesn't seem real. I didn't expect to win at all. Everyone was absolutely amazing and the competition was high. You don't think these things are gonna happen to you and I certainly never thought in a million years that anything like this would happen to me. It's just amazing. All I am is grateful. I've loved every second of Britain's Got Talent. I've sang from my heart and I've just been myself and that's the one thing I wanted to do most. It's just the biggest reward having this outcome.
My self esteem in my talent was really crappy so the British public has helped me a lot. Everyone that supported me, they've definitely made me start believing in myself and that's the most beautiful thing to say.
There's the moments I'll always remember, like getting out the taxi at the front of the Apollo. Then my mum didn't tell me but there were about 50 people closest to me, that have been there from the start since I was young, who were in the line for me.
Also singing My Way, that was rewarding because it took a lot of love and time to try and create that version. It's my little baby. Along with the team at BGT who helped me and my singing coach Annabel Williams. I remember looking up and seeing the wristbands. It was a sea of dreams and it was just magical. If I close my eyes and think about it, it was just beautiful.
I can't wait to go to back to where my parents live, to see my friends and just let my hair down a little bit and celebrate but it doesn't seem like I'm gonna do that any time soon. Everything is 100mph. Now that the world's my oyster, so if any opportunity comes my way, I just wanna smash down its doors and just take it.
Without me knowing about a week and a half ago, I had my last shift as a gym receptionist. I don't think I'll be going back now which I'm very shocked about. I had the intention of going to work on Monday. My manager messaged me just before I was about to go onto This Morning and she asked me, 'Do you want me to put all your shifts for the rest of the month on the cover rota?' And I said, 'Yes please.' I feel like I haven't slept in about a week and a half.
Before winning Britain's Got Talent, I was going to look at becoming a personal trainer. I'm still trying to finish my coursework for my level three PT course!
My advice for anyone thinking of apply for Britain's Got Talent next year? I'd say: Be brave and do it for yourself.
As for me, as long as I'm on a stage sharing a story - whether it be in the West End which is where my heart lies, whether it be at a concert - I just want to be on a stage with a microphone feeling and singing.
Sydnie Christmas told her story to Lily Waddell.
Catch up on Britain's Got Talent on ITVX.