Britain’s Got Talent has crowned the winner of its 17th series, bringing its 2024 run to an official close.
After a showcase of top-tier magic, dance, comedy and more, singer Sydnie Christmas was named the champion of series 17 on Sunday night (2 June), beating nine other finalists with an impressive cover of “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz.
Following a public vote, presenting duo Ant and Dec announced the 28-year-old as the winner of the £250,000 cash prize and a special performance slot at the Royal Variety Performance later this year.
Responding to the exciting news, Christmas said: “I don’t know what to say, I cannot believe the amount of love that I’ve felt.
“I am overwhelmed with love and it’s the most amazing thing and I wish every person in this room feels the way I do with this love, it’s amazing, thank you so much.”
Magician and content creator Jack Rhodes was the favourite to win but finished in second place, while dancers Abigail & Afronitaaa came third.
Other strong contenders in the final 10 included the choir Northants Sings Out, who made it to the finals after a split vote by the judging panel at the semi-finals meant that their future in the competition was down to the public vote.
Elsewhere in the final, there was another singer named Innocent Masuku; Ssaulabi, an acrobatic performance troupe; double dutch group, Haribow; a singing impersonator named Mike Woodhams; a comedian named Alex Mitchell; and Trixy, a magician.
After Christmas’s rendition of the classic musical hit, the studio audience responded with rapturous applause with many, including the judges, giving her a standing ovation.
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“That performance was utterly spellbinding,” Amanda Holden said over the cheers from the crowd. “Perfect in every way… gold dust. Just gold dust. Amazing.”
Continuing the praise, Bruno Tonioli said: “Oh my God, that is what I call a showstopping performance! You took my breath away. The arrangement was exquisite, your vocals were out of this world. A career-defining performance.”
Fellow former Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon followed, telling Christmas: “You just radiate hope and joy and light, and there was something about that performance and that emotion that I felt it move through my body with you. Just felt really high vibrational, just glorious.”
Finally, Simon Cowell closed out the critiques, and said that the performance was “really, really, really something special”, with the words “Why, oh why, can’t I?” particularly standing out.
“That lyric, it felt so personal to you about what you must have wanted over the years with a God-given talent like that,” he told her.
Christmas initially won the judges over with her rendition of “Tomorrow” from Annie, earning her a Golden Buzzer straight to the finals from Holden.
