Connie Talbot has revealed the cost of finding fame at a young age on Britain’s Got Talent, when she faced stalkers and had to go to school with a bodyguard.
The 23-year-old singer rose to national fame when she finished second in the first series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2007.
But being in the spotlight came with its dangers: Connie told how an adult man posed as a journalist in a terrifying attempt to get close to her.
Speaking about the DEEP YouTube channelshe recalled: ‘[Fame] exposed me to the dark sides of the world that a child would probably only hear about later in life.
‘We were approached by a journalist who was going to work for a newspaper, but it turned out that he was only interested in children.
Connie Talbot has revealed what it took to find fame at a young age on Britain’s Got Talent, when she faced stalkers and had to go to school with a bodyguard
The 23-year-old singer rose to national fame when she finished second in the first series of Britain’s Got Talent in 2007.
“Luckily I was protected by my mother and father, but that was probably the first time I realized that safety was something very important to me.”
Connie’s parents were so concerned for her safety that a bodyguard accompanied her to school after her performance on the ITV talent show.
She said: “I remember when I first came off the show I had a bodyguard called Danny who was 6ft tall. He followed me to school every day and was with me on the playground.
‘People were climbing the trees outside my school to get a picture of a little girl in uniform, which is just gross.
‘I have two four-year-old nieces now and I would track down anyone who had any interest in them at that age.’
Connie, who says she doesn’t remember much about her early career, also recalled some good experiences she had after Britain’s Got Talent.
She met George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey, described them as a “wonderful lady” and performed at the G20 summit, although she has “no memory” of it.
Connie also debunked the assumption that everyone who appears on television is filthy rich.
Connie says: ‘We were approached by a journalist who was going to work for a newspaper, but he turned out to be only interested in children’
She added: ‘Luckily I was protected by my mum and dad, but that was probably the first time I realized safety was something very important to me’
Connie’s parents were so concerned for her safety that a bodyguard accompanied her to school after her performance on the ITV talent show.
She said: ‘A big assumption is that we are all mega-rich because we were on television. People assume that you make a lot of money because you’ve been on television, but that’s absolutely not the case.
“People I’m friends with say, I thought you would be great, but you’re nice. People think you’re stuck.’
After Britain’s Got Talent, Connie released her debut album Over The Rainbow in November 2007. It was certified gold in Britain and double platinum in South Korea.
She released Christmas albums in 2008 and 2009 and a fourth album in 2012.
Her most recent song, Growing Pains, was released last year.
During an appearance on This Morning in 2023, Connie said she is ‘so grateful’ for her stint on Britain’s Got Talent, calling it ‘the start of her life’.
Connie said of BGT: “It feels like that was the beginning of my life because I don’t really remember anything about it.
During an appearance on This Morning in 2023, Connie said she is ‘so grateful’ for her stint on Britain’s Got Talent, calling it ‘the start of her life’.
“But I remember bits of the show. It was just, I really just wanted to be on the X Factor and I was obviously too young, so I thought, ”yeah”, this was the next thing.
“And it was the first season, so there were no expectations for the show at all. It just started out as a fun day out. It’s given me a career today, which is incredible. I’m so lucky.’
When asked if she was looked after during her time on Britain’s Got Talent, she explained that the motto was ‘just have fun’, adding: ‘In my head I was Leona Lewis on stage singing About theRainbow.’
She also admitted that her family feared negative comments would upset her, saying: “They were worried about that – the nasty side of Simon Cowell – but he’s softened up now.”
