Connie Talbot has revealed the cost of finding fame at a young age on Britainโs Got Talent, as she faced bullies and had to go to school with a bodyguard.
The singer, 23, rose to national fame when she finished second on the first series of Britainโs Got Talent in 2007.
But being the center of attention came with dangers: Connie told how a grown man posed as a journalist in a terrifying attempt to get close to her.
Talking about theย DEEP YouTube ChannelHe recalled: โ(Fame) exposed me to the darker sides of theย worldย that a child probably wouldnโt hear about until later in life.
โA journalist approached us who was supposed to work for a newspaper, but it turned out that he was only interested in children.
Connie Talbot has revealed the cost of finding fame at a young age on Britainโs Got Talent, as she faced bullies and had to go to school with a bodyguard.
The singer, 23, rose to national fame when she finished second on the first series of Britainโs Got Talent in 2007.
โThankfully my mom and dad protected me, but that was probably the first time I realized that safety was something very important to me.โ
Connieโs parents were so concerned about her safety that a bodyguard accompanied her to school after her appearance on the ITV talent show.
She said: โI remember when I first came off the show, I had a bodyguard called Danny who was 6โ10. He followed me to school every day and was with me on the playground.
โPeople were climbing trees outside my school to take a photo of a girl in uniform, which is just disgusting.
โI now have two four-year-old nieces and I would look for anyone who had any kind of interest in them at that age.โ
Connie, who said she doesnโt remember much from the beginning of her career, also recalled some good experiences she had after Britainโs Got Talent.
He met George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey, whom he described as a โwonderful ladyโ and performed at the G20 Summit, although โhe doesnโt remember it.โ
Connie also dispelled assumptions that everyone on television is extremely rich.
Connie said: โWe were approached by a journalist who was supposed to work for a newspaper, but it turned out he was only interested in children.โ
He added: โLuckily my mom and dad protected me, but it was probably the first time I realized that safety was something very important to me.โ
Connieโs parents were so concerned about her safety that a bodyguard accompanied her to school after her appearance on the ITV talent show.
She said: โA big assumption is that because we appeared on TV we are all mega-rich. People assume you make a lot ofย moneyย because youโve appeared on television, but thatโs definitely not the case.
โPeople I make friends with say: I thought youโd be an idiot, but youโre nice. People think youโll be conceited.
Following Britainโs Got Talent, Connie released her debut album Over The Rainbow in November 2007. It was certified gold in the UK and double platinum in South Korea.
He released Christmas albums in 2008 and 2009 and a fourth album in 2012.
Their most recent song, Growing Pains, was released last year.
During an appearance on This Morning in 2023, Connie said she is โvery gratefulโ for her time on Britainโs Got Talent, calling it โthe start of her life.โ
Connie said of BGT: โI feel like that was the beginning of my life, because I donโt really remember anything before that.โ
During an appearance on This Morning in 2023, Connie said she is โvery gratefulโ for her time on Britainโs Got Talent, calling it โthe start of her life.โ
But I remember bits and pieces of the show. At the time, I really wanted to be on X Factor and I was obviously too young, so I thought, โYeahโ, this was next.
โAnd it was the first season, so there was no expectation for the show. It just started out as a fun day. He gave me a run today, which is amazing. I am so lucky.โ
When asked if she was looked after during her time on Britainโs Got Talent, she explained that the motto was โjust have funโ, adding: โIn my head I was Leona Lewis on stage singing Over the Rainbow.โ
She also admitted that her family feared the negative comments would upset her, saying: โThey were worried about it, the nasty side of Simon Cowell, but now heโs softened.โ