SHE melted the hearts of the nation and TV’s then ‘Mr Nasty’ Simon Cowell 17 years ago as an angelic six-year-old on Britain’s Got Talent.
These days Connie Talbot, 23, is releasing her own music as an independent artist and preparing for an intimate three-date tour later in the year.
The singer-songwriter is so focused on a career as a musician that she even turned down the opportunity to star on Love Island.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, Connie admitted entering the villa just isn’t one of her dreams.
She said: “I got asked to go on Love Island, which is completely alien to me. I’m just focused on music and television is like a whole different thing really.
“But yeah, Love Island, I respect it as a show, but it’s just not for me. I couldn’t do it, and it’s it’s not my dream.
“My dream is to work hard at the music side of things and be known as an artist now, as a 23-year-old.
“I’ve been really lucky, like ITV have been amazing to me, you know, like the history of being a child on Britain’s Got Talent. So I’m grateful for that.
“I try to really focus on what the goal is and keep pushing through, and am just so grateful that people are still here listening and supporting a show.”
Connie these days is unrecognisable from the young child that shot to fame singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow in front of Simon, Piers Morgan and Amanda Holden.
Back in 2007 she finished runner-up to Paul Potts on the talent show and achieved chart success on both sides of the Atlantic not long afterwards.
Despite her achievements, Connie has grappled with and, at times, tried to distance herself from those early days.
She said: “I think there was a time where I was like ‘I’m going to completely change the way I look, and just not talk about BGT, just totally blank it out of my life’. But then, as I’ve got older, I sort of just appreciate that.
“That was the start of the journey, and I probably wouldn’t be exactly where I am now if it wasn’t for that show. So I’m grateful for it. I had like this detachment from the little six year old to me now.
“So yeah, that’s that’s been like a tough thing to navigate but now I sort of embrace it a little bit more and just appreciate that people will always sort of remember me as that little girl, which is fine.”
She landed a six-figure record deal after her show success and released the album Over The Rainbow in 2008.
It topped the charts in three Asian countries and made the top 10 in the US, while her cover of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds also hit the top spot in the singles chart in the States.
“The album did well and exceeded our expectations completely,” said Connie. “It went gold in the UK and one of the songs went to number one in America, which was crazy, and I really enjoyed that.
“But I think now there has been a big shift in the music industry. I love how creative as an independent artist you can be. You can choose what songs you want to release and really listen to the people that are following you and what they want to hear.
“It’s definitely a lot of responsibility and releasing the EP [Growing Pains], I learned so much. I just love the creative control over everything, control freak of songs.”
A big influence on Connie is pop superstar Raye, who recently won a record-breaking six Brit Awards as an independent artist.
Raye famously released a tearful social media plea in 2021 in which she revealed she’d been tied to major label Polydor for years but was unable to release an album as they were yet to deem her “good enough”.
She was subsequently dropped a month later. Two years later Raye went on to release her Ivor Novello-winning debut My 21st Century Blues.
Though that strife was centred on freedom rather than money – though the two are entwined to a degree – Connie believes there is a revolution of sorts happening in the industry when it comes to independent artists’ finances.
“Songwriters aren’t getting paid enough,” she said. “And I see a small revolution happening in the the songwriting world. Raye talks about it a lot. She’s an independent artist and I completely respect her. She just speaks absolute truth.
“So I think we’re at a sort of funny moment in the music industry. It’s sort of tough to navigate. I feel quite privileged that all that work that was put in as a child is allowing me to still be an independent artist today and do something that I love every day.
“I think Raye is a big ambassador for the young independent artists and songwriters, and I think we should definitely listen to her, for sure.”
Later this year Connie will debut some new music and get reacquainted with her fans on the live stage.
Tickets for her September gigs at The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, The Grace, London and The Deaf Institute, Manchester, are now on sale.
“I am so excited for the the three gigs,” said Connie. “It’s like the first ever time that I’ve done like a solo mini tour in the UK, so yeah, I do feel a little bit of pressure.
“So many people have already messaged me, saying, ‘I’m coming to Birmingham, coming to Manchester and coming to London’. And I have such a sweet following.
“So I’m really seeing it as just like an opportunity to be up close and personal with the people that I only really see through a phone screen. And it’s just gonna be like a really nice time. I’ll be singing all original songs for the first time in the UK. It’s gonna be good vibes.”
