Britain’s Got Talent star Sydnie Christmas has shut down claims that she starred on the West End.
The 28-year-old singer received the first Golden Buzzer of Britain’s Got Talent’s new series after wowing the judges with her rendition of “Tomorrow” from the iconic musical Annie, inspired by Celebrity Big Brother and West End star Marisha Wallace.
Social media was abuzz with fans claiming that Christmas had a career in the West End. One comment read: “Sydnie Christmas is a professional singer/actress already working in the West End. Thought #bgt was for amateurs, not professionals. She’s taken the golden buzzer from someone more deserving.”
Addressing the claims during a discussion with Lorraine Kelly, Christmas clarified her professional singing career. While she admitted that she hasn’t performed on the West End, she expressed her dream of becoming a leading lady on stage.
Lorraine Kelly addressed the complaints at the beginning of the interview, stating: “You have been grafting away, you have done the cruise ships, but you’ve never been on the West End though?”
“You’ve never done any of that,” Kelly continued. “You’ve always wanted to. This is your dream, isn’t it?”
Christmas shared her aspirations: “I just aspire to, I want to be a leading lady. That’s the dream! That’s the aim.”
Clearly impressed with Christmas’ audition, Kelly offered encouragement: “And so you can be, as we saw there. I must admit I’m with Simon Cowell on this; you absolutely made it your own.”
Christmas revealed her inspiration for the performance: “The first time I heard that version, Marisha Wallace did it, and I was like, I’ve got to give this a go. The song speaks to so many people. Doing it as an adult, the way Marisha did it, has a totally different meaning.”
Explaining why she decided to appear on Britain’s Got Talent, Christmas said: “Just to open a door. To try. Let’s have it. Let’s give it a go.”
Christmas completed her course at D&B Academy of Performing Arts in London in 2014. She has worked as a singer on cruise ships, including Royal Caribbean International, and appeared on TV in the movie Kick-Ass 2 and the reality show Stage School.
In London, she performed in the musical Lazarus, featuring David Bowie’s music, at the King’s Cross Theatre. Her bio for Lazarus included credits such as lead vocalist in the show Star Water for Royal Caribbean Cruise’s Quantum of the Seas, and roles in Kick-Ass 2 and the short film Can You Keep a Secret. Additionally, Christmas starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express in Bochum, Germany, in 2019.
Following her performance on Britain’s Got Talent, Christmas expressed her disbelief: “I was pinching myself. I thought this couldn’t be real… This doesn’t happen to people like me. I have wanted to do this forever. To be on stage, entertain, perform, and sing.”
