The winner of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent final will make her panto debut in Kent this December.

Singer Sydnie Christmas, from Gravesham, overcame tough competition to be crowned winner of Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) with a stunning rendition of Over the Rainbow.

Now the singer will play Fairy Christmas in a brand-new production of Sleeping Beauty at Dartford’s Orchard West, the temporary home for the Orchard Theatre.

Sydnie, who watched panto at the same theatre as a child, says she is “living my panto dream” in her new role, which begins on December 14 and ends on January 5, 2025.

The BGT winner said: “The past few months have been crazy, mental – I feel like a rocket has been set-off and I haven’t come down yet, which is amazing.

“I can’t believe this is my life, I don’t know where it’s heading, every week different but that’s just brilliant.”

In addition, Sydnie urged those who had supported her throughout her time on the talent show to continue this by paying a visit to Orchard West.

“Panto is very new to me so I haven’t done anything like this – this is exciting,” she added.

Ironically, she says she had tried to get into panto as a child but never got in, and last auditioned for one three years ago.

“Now I am living my panto dream and have finally ticked it off the list,” she added.

Caroline Hicks, the Director of Growth and Community at Dartford council, said: “We’re really proud of being able to work together with Trafalgar Theatres as a council to make sure that theatre carries on in Dartford while the great works are going on over the road.

“We’re really pleased to be looking to another great show here at Orchard West.

“We will moving back into the Orchard Theatre, the works there are going really well but we are getting loads of things done in there to make it a really good future-proofed venue to make sure that theatre can continue in Dartford for years to come.”

The Orchard Theatre in Dartford closed with “immediate effect” in September last year following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in its roof.

In the meantime, a temporary £2million theatre, known as Orchard West, was set up just 300 metres away in Hythe Street which welcomed its first audiences for the panto season in December.

The Orchard Theatre, in Home Gardens, Dartford will not open until next year.

Sleeping Beauty will be at Orchard West from Saturday December 14 until January 5, 2025.

Tickets range from £27 to £49.

Additional reporting by Bartholomew Hall