She was crowned the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2024 during Sunday night’s nail-biting final.
And Sydnie Christmas took to her Instagram Stories later that night to tearfully thank everyone who voted for her as she celebrated her huge win.
The budding West End star, 28, scooped the coveted £250,000 prize and a place in the Royal Variety Show after impressing judges Bruno Tonioli, Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden and winning over the voting public at home.
She beat ten other outstanding acts with her rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow after a jam-packed episode.
Second place went to magician Jack Rhodes, third place went to Ghanaian dancers Abigail and Afronita and fourth place went to opera singer Innocent Masuku.
Sydnie Christmas took to her Instagram Stories on Sunday night to tearfully thank everyone who voted for her as she celebrated being crowned the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2024
The budding West End star, 28, scooped the coveted £250,000 prize and a place in the Royal Variety Show after impressing judges Bruno Tonioli , Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden and winning over the voting public at home
Despite scooping the mammoth prize, Sydnie stuck to her humble roots on Sunday night, hitting Wetherspoons to celebrate.
The singer was joined by her family and friends to enjoy several drinks in the local pub and admitted she was still speechless about her win.
Sharing an emotional video at the pub, she addressed her fans and gratefully gushed: ‘Thank you everyone who voted for me, I don’t even know my life.’
Panning the camera to show her loved ones raising their glasses, she added: ‘The Christmas clan are celebrating in the Wetherspoons’ as the group cheered.
Sydnie captioned the joyful clip: ‘I love you all. I have no words’ followed by a string of heart and crying emojis.
She also shared a snap of her posing with the judges and hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, writing: ‘Cheers to the best day of my life. Thanks to you lot. I owe it all to yous.’
After her name was read out in Sunday’s final, the overwhelmed star broke down as she said: ‘I don’t know what to say! I cannot believe the amount of love I’ve felt since it aired.
‘It’s absolutely – oh my god. I am overwhelmed with love and I wish for one day that everyone feels the way I do. It’s amazing, thank you so much.’
Second place went to magician Jack Rhodes (left), third place went to Ghanaian dancers Abigail and Afronita (right) and fourth place went to opera singer Innocent Masuku
Despite scooping the mammoth prize, Sydnie stuck to her humble roots on Sunday night, hitting Wetherspoons to celebrate with her family and friends
Sharing an emotional video at the pub, she addressed her fans and gratefully gushed: ‘Thank you everyone who voted for me, I don’t even know my life’
Sydnie captioned the joyful clip: ‘I love you all. I have no words’ followed by a string of heart and crying emojis
She also shared a snap of her posing with the judges and hosts Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly, writing: ‘Cheers to the best day of my life. Thanks to you lot. I owe it all to yous’
Sydnie’s performance in the final was dubbed the best the show has ever seen by head judge Simon.
She was the favourite to take the top spot ahead of the final after winning her semi-final heat with her rendition of Frank Sinatra’s My Way that wowed judges.
After her final performance, Amanda said: ‘I know how long you have waited for this moment, it was utterly spellbinding and perfect in every way. It was just gold dust,’ while Bruno added: ‘That is what I call a show-stopping performance, you took my breath away!’
Fellow judge Alesha said: ‘You just radiate hope and joy and light – and there was something about that performance and that emotion, I felt it move through my body with you.’
And Simon then commented: ‘That was really something special. That lyric felt so personal to you about what you must have wanted over the years with a God-given talent like that and for whatever reason you’ve been ignored. I actually felt very emotional.’
Sydnie works as a receptionist at a local gym and previously insisted that if she won the £250,000 prize she would be returning to work on Monday morning.
Speaking to The Mirror she joked: ‘I’ve already had two weeks off – and I’m on a zero-hours contract. I have rent to pay!’
She has dreamt of being able to work full time on the West End and is hopeful that BGT will be a stepping stone to make that dream a reality.
Sydnie’s performance in the final was dubbed the best the show has ever seen by head judge Simon and she was the favourite to take the top spot ahead of the final after winning her semi-final heat
Sydnie works as a receptionist at a local gym and previously insisted that if she won the £250,000 prize she would be returning to work on Monday morning
She has dreamt of being able to work full time on the West End and is hopeful that BGT will be a stepping stone to make that dream a reality
She confessed: ‘In a year’s time, I hope I’m living my dream. I want to be doing what I love for a living instead of rolling towels and making shakes!’
Before auditioning Sydnie was considering turning her back on her dreams, saying: ‘If you’d have told me on New Year’s Eve that this would be happening in my life five months later, I would have told you something. So I’m very happy and a very lucky girl.
‘I’ve done loads of auditions to get into the West End. It’s always knock backs, always that you don’t fit.
‘All my mates have got babies and getting married. I’m still trying to afford rent in London! So I thought in my head because nothing was happening for me I’ll give it one last go… and here we are today!’
And it has been reported that her dreams are set to come true, with her BGT win causing a number of producers to sit up and take notice.
A source told The Mirror: ‘She is set for big things. Her name in any production could super-charge ticker sales, and there has already been a lot of interest.
Simon had previously praised Sydnie, saying: ‘If it wasn’t for people like you, I wouldn’t bother making this show.’
He then added: ‘You have to wonder, who were these idiots you auditioned for before that didn’t give you the break you deserved.’
And it has been reported that her dreams are set to come true, with her BGT win causing a number of producers to sit up and take notice
Sydnie has had lots of family support during the process with her grandmothers Breda and Maureen, watching her first audition at the Palladium and her long term boyfriend and fellow musical actor, Max Rizzo (pictured)
Sydnie has worked on cruise ships and has appeared in a German production of Starlight Express in 2019 as Belle the Bar Car (pictured)
Sydnie has had lots of family support during the process with her grandmothers Breda and Maureen, watching her first audition at the Palladium and her long term boyfriend and fellow musical actor, Max Rizzo.
She told The Mirror how valuable their support had been, gushing: I wouldn’t be doing it if there were not there. I do look at them when I sing.
‘I look into the audience quite a lot as I’m very much telling a story. I like to think I’ve very conversational when I sing – I want people to understand what I’m saying.’
The golden buzzer recipient did face some controversy at the start of the audition process as many fans accused the show for being fixed once viewers realised Sydnie already had a musical career.
Sydnie has worked on cruise ships including the Royal Caribbean International, where she starred as Rizzo in the musical Grease.
She made her debut in London as one of the lead voices in Lazarus, featuring the music of David Bowie, at the King’s Cross Theatre and shared a snap backstage of Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson after he attended the show.
She then went on to appear in a German production of Starlight Express in 2019 as Belle the Bar Car.
Following her incredible audition last month, where she scored Amanda’s Golden Buzzer for her rendition of Tomorrow from the musical Annie, fans took to Twitter to point out her past professional experience.
The golden buzzer recipient did face some controversy at the start of the audition process as many fans accused the show for being fixed once viewers realised Sydnie already had a musical career
They wrote: ‘Always good to see an underdog on @BGT like Sydnie Christmas. Jeez. A simple Google search… wtf!; If Sydney wins it’s such a fix. So much favouritism all series’.
‘Come on, Sydnie Christmas is already a professional; Sydnie Christmas, Starlight Express. Just a quick Google search’.
‘Sydnie Christmas has starred in Starlight Express in Bochum, Germany, and Lazarus at London’s King’s Cross Theatre. And starred as Rizzo in a Grease theatre show. No Newbie then’.
But Simon hit back at the fix claims ahead of Sydnie being crowned the winner, saying: ‘Winning is important, but, you know, getting into this final and importantly, doing something great, will actually make a difference.
‘You know what was interesting? I worked out, I don’t think a single act tonight were professionals. They all had a regular job and they did something extraordinary.’
But Simon hit back at the fix claims ahead of Sydnie being crowned the winner, saying: ‘You know what was interesting? I worked out, I don’t think a single act tonight were professionals. They all had a regular job and they did something extraordinary’