Amy joins the 14-24 sisterhood!
30 Sep 08
"Simon said the talent was as good as American Idol..."
Pretty Amy Connolly was celebrating after bootcamp, having secured a sought-after place at Judges' Houses in the competitive Girls 14-24 age group.
Amy was one of the last people to hear the judges' verdict on her fate on the final day of bootcamp. But as she was collecting her cases and preparing to go home, she smiled, "I can't believe it. I'm walking on air."
And full of emotion following the highs and lows of bootcamp, she told us, "It's been a tough week but I wouldn't have changed it for the world".
"The whole experience is very intense. Because of the anxiety, it's been a whirlwind. You're not just rooting for yourself - you're also rooting for everyone else.
"We're singing all day and when we're haven't been singing we've been preparing to sing. As soon as my head hits the pillow tonight, I will go out like a light".
Amy was delighted to progress in the competition despite finding herself in a notoriously competitive category group. And just a few hours earlier, she'd watched many of the bootcamp friends she'd just made be sent home.
She told us, "They'd put so many people though in the first round, that we got split into three rooms".
The people in two of those rooms progressed further in bootcamp; but one roomful of hopefuls were unceremoniously suddenly homeward-bound.
"It just happened I was in one of the rooms they said yes to. Simon said this is the year with the biggest, biggest talent they'd ever seen. He said, 'This is as big as American Idol'. We were really shocked at that".
The six young ladies who have made it through to meet again at Judges' Houses, then, certainly have a lot to celebrate - but they can't rest on their laurels just yet.
Said Amy, "The other girls are amazing people; I couldn't hope for a better group. I'm so, so lucky we all get on like a house on fire. We are into the same things, and this is what we love to do".
"It is quite sad that obviously it's still a competition. But we're all rooting for each other, so it's all good".