Interview
Interview
Stage Times: Sydnie Christmas
The Britain’s Got Talent Winner looks back at her best, worst and weirdest live performances – including the one that got her the golden buzzer
“I feel like I’m living my fairy tale life, to be honest,” says Sydnie Christmas, over the phone. “There’s no words to describe fully how lucky I feel.” She’s in the middle of a press run during which she must have talked about her Britain’s Got Talent win more times than she can count, but her joy and gratitude don’t sound in any way rehearsed. Then again, she’s proven herself a fantastic performer. The 29-year-old singer put her own spin on ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie in her audition, earning a golden buzzer from Amanda Holden and going on to be voted the winner of the talent show’s 17th season. Now she’s gearing up for a UK tour in early 2025, after releasing her debut album My Way earlier this year.
“It’s very overwhelming,” she admitted. “It’s a different industry that I’m learning right now.” Previously a musical theatre actress, Christmas says that she’s slowly getting to grips with being a recording artist and touring musician. “I feel like I’m back at school again. But it’s all the stress that I’ve ever wanted. Does that make sense? I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
We caught up with Christmas to talk through her biggest, best and most memorable live performances to date – before she embarks on her first headline tour.
The one that made you want to be a performer
I used to watch a lot of movie musicals. I fell in love with Half A Sixpence, and Tommy Steele. Jesus, I was in love with him. Doris Day in Calamity Jane… they’re the musicals that made me fall in love. West Side Story, of course, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, Guys And Dolls. Guys And Dolls was the first musical that I saw in London. I think I was about nine.
The first
It was at the rugby club, and it was singing ‘Vindaloo’ stood up on a table collecting money with a hat. I used to do it when I was about three to five. But then I the first song that I ever sung properly, that I can remember, is at school, being stood up on a bench in the playground, singing ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie to the older kids. I think they were in Year Five, and I was only in Reception, and they stood me up on the chair, and I sang Annie.
The biggest
BGT.
Were you thinking about how many people were watching as you were singing?
Oh, yeah. It was rough. Not so much singing in the theatre – that I love, that brings me so much happiness. It was knowing that there were millions of people behind the camera. That was rough, and there were a lot of opinions.
The smallest
There’s loads. Growing up being in theatre schools and being at college and doing the in-house shows and things like that. The smallest audience was probably in my kitchen with my family, a family of 15, making me sing. Going, “Go on, do that one!” My granddaddy is very demanding as well. So when he says, “Sing,” you’ve got to. He’s like, “Sing. Do it and do it now. You owe it to everyone!”
The best
About a month ago – it seems like ages ago, but everything’s happening so quickly – I think it’s about a month ago now. I sung at Blackpool Illuminations, which was about 80,000 people. That was the most amazing experience. It’s the biggest audience I’ve ever sang in front of, for sure. That was a great memory.
The worst
Oh, there’s so many times where I’ve not been so well. There’s plenty of times that I was in Starlight Express and I fell over on the skates on stage. But then you just laugh. You’ve got your mates on the stage with you. And the falls are so good, so you just get up again and just wet yourself laughing, and then just carry on with the choreo. That’s just the show. You’re on skates. Injuries are going to happen!
The weirdest
Well, BGT. It has to be. I’d say the whole thing felt amazing, but very weird. It was so surreal. It was just a crazy thing to be a part of. It’s weird in the sense of, it’s something you’ve watched for years and years and years, and then bang: you’re a part of it. I thought that was very weird.
I remember looking into a mirror backstage and trying to figure out how it’s going to go, and that just wasn’t working. So I just sort of said to myself, “There’s nothing you can do here. You just have to be yourself for once, Sydnie. You haven’t got a script, and you’re not being a character.” Which was actually the scariest part. “Just be yourself. Don’t think about it.”
I also remember asking – because I had really dry lips – if anyone had any lip salve. One of the runners gave me a lip balm. I asked her if I could keep it in my pocket, in case I needed it, and she said yes. So I went on stage. Obviously, what happened happened, and luckily, I got the golden buzzer. So when I went to give it back to her afterwards I was like, “I can’t give this back to you. What if this lip balm was the reason that I got that golden buzzer?” I was like, “Please, can I keep it?” She laughed, and was like, “You weirdo, yes, that’s fine.” I’ve still got it to this day. That lip balm was in my pocket for every BGT performance.