EXCLUSIVEBritain's Got Talent star Connie Talbot, 23, reveals terrifying stalker ordeal and having to go to school with a bodyguard after rising to fame on show as a 6-year-old
Connie Talbot has revealed the cost of finding fame at a young age on Britain's Got Talent as she was faced with stalkers and had to go to school with a bodyguard.
The singer, 23, rose to national fame when she finished as runner-up on the first series of Britain's Got Talent in 2007.
But being in the limelight came with dangers with Connie telling how an adult man posed as a journalist in a terrifying attempt to get close to her.
Speaking on the DEEP YouTube channel, she recalled: '[Fame] exposed me to the darker sides of the world that probably a child wouldn't hear of till later in life.
'We got approached by a journalist who was meant to work for a newspaper but it turned out that he was just interested in children.
Connie Talbot has revealed the cost of finding fame at a young age on Britain's Got Talent as she was faced with stalkers and had to go to school with a bodyguard
The singer, 23, rose to national fame when she finished as runner-up on the first series of Britain's Got Talent in 2007
'Luckily I was protected by my mum and dad but that was probably the first time I realised safety was a massive thing for me.'
Connie's parents were concerned enough for her safety that a bodyguard accompanied her to school after her appearance on the ITV talent show.
She said: 'I remember when I first got off the show, I had a bodyguard called Danny who was 6'10. He'd follow me to school everyday, be with me on the playground.
'People would climb the trees outside my school to get a photo of a little girl in uniform which is just gross.
'I have two four-year-old nieces now and I would track down any person who had any kind of interest in them at that age.'
Connie, who said she doesn't remember a lot of her early career, also recalled some good experiences she had after Britain's Got Talent.
She met George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey, she described as a 'wonderful lady' and performed at the G20 Summit, although she has 'no recollection' of it.
Connie also dispelled assumptions that everyone who appears on television is abundantly wealthy.
Connie said: 'We got approached by a journalist who was meant to work for a newspaper but it turned out that he was just interested in children'
She added: 'Luckily I was protected by my mum and dad but that was probably the first time I realised safety was a massive thing for me'
Connie's parents were concerned enough for her safety that a bodyguard accompanied her to school after her appearance on the ITV talent show
She said: 'One big assumption is that because we were on television, we're all megarich. People assume you make a lot of money because you've been on television but that's definitely not the case.
'People I become friends with say, I thought you'd be a b***h but you're nice. People think you'll be stuck up.'
After Britain's 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.
She released Christma 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, and branded it 'the beginning of her life.'
Connie said of BGT: 'It feels like that was the beginning of my life, because I don't really remember anything before that.
During an appearance on This Morning in 2023, Connie said she is 'so grateful' for her stint on Britain's Got Talent, and branded it 'the beginning of her life'
'But I remember bits of the show. At it was just, I really just wanted to be on the X Factor and obviously I was too young, so I was like: ''yes'' this was the next thing.
'And It was the first season so there were no expectations for the show whatsoever. It just started as a fun day out. It's given me a career today, which is incredible. I'm so lucky.'
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 Over the Rainbow.'
She also admitted that her family feared negative comments upsetting her, saying: 'They were worried about that - the nasty side of Simon Cowell - but he's softened up now.'
