Fans Claim Sydnie Christmas—The Champion of Britain’s Got Talent 2024—Is Cheating by Presenting Herself as a “Receptionist” Without Disclosing Her Professional Singing Background.

According to the Daily Mail on June 3rd, fans were outraged to discover that Christmas had previously achieved some singing accolades, despite only introducing herself as a gym receptionist in Kent, England.

One account wrote: “Sydnie Christmas has released a song on Spotify. Her winning the British talent show is completely fraudulent.” Another commenter stated: “She shouldn’t have accepted the title of champion because she’s a seasoned performer.”The news outlet reported that audiences expressed their dissatisfaction with Christmas’s participation since her first audition.

According to the Daily Mail, Sydnie Christmas has been involved in numerous musicals and performed on Royal Caribbean International cruise ships. After graduating from a performing arts school in London in 2014, she began her career as a lead singer in the musical “Lazarus,” written by rock legend David Bowie, from 2016 to 2017. During that time, she appeared on the show “Stage School,” a competition for arts students. She later joined the Starlight Express theater company in Germany in 2019.

Viewers also believe that the show was staged for Sydnie Christmas to win. They argue that her performance being placed last in the lineup meant she received more votes than other contestants. In the finale, Christmas garnered 27.2% of the votes, while the runner-up received 15.8%. She denied the rumors in an interview with OK! Magazine, feeling hurt by the audience’s speculation. “People just think: ‘Clearly, the organizers handed the award to her.’ It’s not like that. I worked very hard, believed in myself, and hoped a lot to achieve this,” Christmas stated.

After winning the championship, in an interview with The Mirror, she stated that she would return to her previous job because she had signed a zero-hour contract (an agreement that doesn’t guarantee a specific number of working hours). Christmas wants a full-time job in London, hoping that her success in the competition will serve as a stepping stone to achieve her goals.

Sydney Christmas in the finale.

Britain’s Got Talent is a talent search show under the America’s Got Talent brand initiated by Simon Cowell. The show first aired in 2007 and is currently in its 17th season. This year, the judging panel includes Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Bruno Tonioli, and Alesha Dixon. The competition is open to contestants of all ages and professions.

In addition to the controversy surrounding Christmas, the show sparked debate by inviting the K-pop group Blitzers to compete. The group faced allegations of lip-syncing due to their outstanding performance in the semifinals compared to their initial audition. Furthermore, Blitzers already have a reputation in South Korea, leading audiences to believe that the band participated to promote themselves in the UK.

Sydnie Christmas, born in 1996, hails from Kent, England. In the finale on June 2, she showcased her high vocal range and perfect pitch while performing “Over the Rainbow” from the film The Wizard of Oz (1939). Christmas triumphed over 10 other acts to claim the championship, winning £250,000 in prize money and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Show—a fundraising event for the British royal family.

The runner-up was magician Jack Rhodes. The third place went to Ghanaian dance duo Abigail and Afronita, while South African opera singer Innocent Masuku finished in fourth place.