As the countdown began, Sydnie lived through the longest, scariest eleven seconds of her life, while waiting for Ant and Dec to announce the winner of Britain’s Got Talent 2024. After only a few months prior, wondering how much longer she could keep knocking at the industry’s door, it’s certainly not where Sydnie imagined she’d be when first sending in her video application.
‘Those eleven seconds were pure torture. Honestly, they need to cut that countdown out,’ Sydnie laughs. ‘It lasted forever, and my stomach was in knots. Then, when they finally read a name, I couldn’t believe it was mine. I couldn’t process anything and didn’t know whether to scream or cry. All I remember is looking out at everyone I loved in the crowd.
‘There were around 50 of my friends and family that had gotten up at the crack of dawn to buy tickets so they could surprise me and be there. I was so glad I got to share it with them. It felt like a victory for us all, and I feel like the luckiest girl alive.’
Of course, having been a helter-skelter of events since the announcement, finding some downtime to process everything hasn’t been on the cards for Sydnie. ‘To be honest, it’s still not hit me,’ Sydnie admits. ‘I’m planning on moving home soon, back to my parent’s house in Kent. We have a bar in the back garden where I can sit and have a glass of wine. That’s when I reckon it’ll all finally catch up to me.’
Sydnie first applied for the show in mid-January where, after several rounds, she received an email inviting her onto the live show. ‘I had just under two weeks to prepare, and then almost as quickly as it came, it was over. I went back to work the next day, and it almost felt as though it had never happened, not until the episode aired in April,’ Sydnie shared. ‘A group of us gathered for a party to watch it together at my parents’. I remember then feeling thankful for the chance to have performed on the BGT stage and as though I couldn’t have asked for a greater opportunity or farewell to the industry.’
Before applying to the show and after 10 years of dreaming of the West End and doing all she could to get there, Sydnie was preparing herself to leave auditioning behind.
‘It just wasn’t happening for me,’ she admits. ‘Over the years, I’d landed parts in productions on cruise ships, including Grease the Musical, and had performed for five months in a just off-Broadway show, Lazarus. You’ve no idea how much I wished to claim it had been in the West End but wasn’t allowed! It’s why it does my head in when people say I’ve performed there because I wanted to say it back then and couldn’t! The problem was with each job that ended, the gaps in between parts grew longer. I’d return home to anxiety central wondering how I’d make ends meet. I tried bar work, starting a school for dance and launching a cleaning business just to survive and hopefully make enough spare cash to continue auditioning. Travelling from Kent to London for tryouts could sometimes cost over £300 a week.
‘I finally joined the Starlight Express and stayed there for four years because I enjoyed it. By this time, the West End seemed an impossibility, but I was on stage, which is all that mattered. The only problem was being in Germany, I missed my family dearly. I was also thinking about starting a family of my own. Having reached 28, all I’d ever wanted was this career, and I’d worked my butt off to do it in whatever way I could, but I was tired of feeling selfish. I was thinking about wanting children and how I couldn’t even afford a toothpick, and it started feeling like this was no longer a sustainable career choice at this stage in my life.’
This was how Sydnie came to choose Annie’s Tomorrow for her debut BGT performance. As the first song she ever sang, Sydnie wanted to finish where it had started. ‘I thought I’d do the show and give it my last hurrah and instead, all these brilliant things emerged. It was the furthest possibility from my mind,’ she says. ‘I’m not a negative person, but after hearing my fair share of nos, it’s hard to believe even when it’s a yes, that it’s not all a dream I’ll soon wake up from.
'Knowing what you want to do from a young age is both a burden and a blessing. There wasn’t any other path for me. I’ve always been the girl who sang and grew up on the tables of the Orpington Rugby Club, singing and trailing about with my hat, trying to gain a little pocket money. The creative industries are tough, and I know there are thousands more out there, just like me hoping and trying for their big break. I recently attended a third-year grad show at my old college, D&B Academy of Performing Arts. The students were amazing, and many agents were checking out the new performers, but I ended up crying because I could empathise with their hunger and eagerness for any opportunity. I hoped more than anything they would persevere and hold on to their enthusiasm. If there’s any advice I can pass on to others, it’s just to keep going! For some, there’s no greater place in the world than the stage.’
It’s certainly a lifelong love affair for Sydnie who says: ‘I adore telling stories. What I cherish most about performing is how much you can feel from the songs and their lyrics. There are many tunes you can jump into that are written for different experiences and helping others to share in what you’re feeling is a massive achievement and incredibly fulfilling. ‘The stage is also the one place I feel vulnerable, which isn’t something I usually carry with me in my personal life. However, when I step up on stage, I submit to it and it’s one of the most rewarding and special moments. It’s what I live for.’
Growing up in Kent, Sydnie was never short of theatrical inspiration to ignite her passion. From The Stag in Sevenoaks to Bromley’s Churchill Theatre, there was no shortage of productions for her to see.
‘Though, my greatest source of inspiration for sure must be my family. They’ve always believed in and encouraged me. Where some parents warn a career in performance isn’t a good choice, mine never discouraged my dreams. Their continuous love and support are all I’ve ever known, and I couldn’t be more grateful,’ Sydnie shares. ‘Even in times where I doubted myself, they were there cheering me on, convincing me I could do it. I think in part it’s also because they knew this was the only thing I ever really wanted to do. I can’t imagine what I’d be without singing. Perhaps a professional rugby player? I’m a rugby girl at heart, having grown up around it.
‘And though it’s a love that comes with its pains - I bruised a rib taking a tackle wrong a couple of months ago - I admire the sense of community and family it nourishes. It’s what made the rugby club one of the best places to be when I was little.’
Though when Sydnie will next have spare time for training, she’s not sure as the calendar’s filling up fast. ‘Besides performing at the Royal Variety, I’m also heading on tour,’ she shares.’ It’s funny when they first approached me about doing it, I was convinced they meant as a support act. You should’ve seen my face when they explained it was a tour for me! Let’s just say that’s another reality that’s going to take years to settle in.
‘My album’s also coming out this month, which I’m excited about! As long as I’m performing and being creative, then I’m happy and I’m just thankful to be busy. I know how temporary things can be, so for right now I plan to live it up!’
Sydnie’s debut album, My Way, will be released on September 20. She’ll perform her My Way Tour at Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on October 7. Find more details at sydniechristmas.london
