SYDNIE Christmas has hit back at fix claims as she branded them ‘soul destroying’ following her Britain’s Got Talent win.
The singer scooped the crown during the variety show’s finale on Sunday night.
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Sydnie wowed the audience and viewers at home with her performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Annie, the audition song that prompted Amanda Holden to slam her golden buzzer several months ago.
However, after Ant and Dec crowned her the winner, Sydnie was hit with fix claims by BGT viewers.
Despite winning with 27% of the vote, fans soon pulled apart the show – including its running order, and the events leading up to it.
But now Sydnie has addressed the claims, insisting she won fair and square.
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Speaking to OK Mag, she said: “It wouldn’t have mattered if I’d gone first. I don’t know what to say, soul destroying isn’t it?”
The singer continued: “It’s difficult, it takes it away from how hard the journey was or how rewarding the success is.
“They just think that, ‘Oh, it’s obvious it was given to her.’ It really wasn’t. I had to graft. I had to really graft and believe and want.
“I’m focusing on the people that did support me because I owe it all to them, without them it wouldn’t have happened.”
Sydnie has bagged herself the £250,000 prize by winning the show and a slot at the upcoming Royal Variety Performance.
There, she will join a host of esteemed acts to perform for King Charles and Queen Camilla.
After the result was announced, emotional Sydnie fell to her knees and struggled to talk when Ant and Dec went to speak to her.
“Oh, I don’t know what to say!” she finally uttered. “I cannot believe the amount of love that I felt since it aired… Oh my God, I am overwhelmed with love and it’s the most amazing thing.
“It’s amazing, thank you so much!”
Britain’s Got Talent’s biggest ‘fix’ rows
Britain’s Got Talent has been plagued with ‘fix’ rows over the years. How many of these do you remember?
Jasmine Elcock – 2016: Teenage singer Jasmine Elcock stunned the nation with her version of Cher’s Believe. But it then transpired she had already performed professionally in London’s West End. Jasmine, 14, admitted: “I’ve performed in Annie in the West End at about the age of nine or 10, but I really get nervous.”
IrShad Shaikh – 2017: BGT fans were left questioning the rule book when IrShad Shaikh auditioned. He got four red buzzers from the judges, which would usually mean an instant dismissal. Yet in a strange turn of events, they let him continue with his act…and put him through to the next round.
Colin Thackery – 2019: Elderly war veteran Colin won BGT in 2019, but there was an outcry over the final. He warbled his place to win with a version of We’ll Meet Again but fans were furious that escapologist Jonathan Goodwin didn’t even rank in the top three. Viewers felt Jonathan – who almost suffocated while being buried alive in a gravel pit – should have won.
Axel Blake – 2022: Comedian Axel Blake was given a Golden Buzzer in 2022 after making the judges laugh. But fans were fuming when they discovered Axel already had a show on worldwide streaming platform Amazon Prime. Despite this, Axel still went on to win the series.
Loren Allred – 2022: The 2022 series of BGT was hit with another controversy when singer Loren Allred also received a Golden Buzzer. She performed Never Enough from the smash hit musical movie The Greatest Showman and got a standing ovation. It later transpired Loren was actually the original voice behind the track.
Taryn Charles – 2024: Singer Taryn Charles is one of this year’s hopefuls lucky enough to receive the Golden Buzzer. Bruno Tonilio put her straight through to the semi-finals following her performance of (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin, but it has now come to light that she is no stranger to TV. Viewers recognised Taryn from an episode of ITV1’s Starstruck, where she impersonated Whitney Houston for judges Olly Murs, Sheridan Smith, Adam Lambert and Beverley Knight.