The Winner

Carrie Winfield

SASSY songstress Carrie Winfield hit the high notes to beat nine wannabe popstars at the Voice Of 2007 grand final. The feisty 17-year-old, of Sherburn-in-Elmet, walked away with the competition’s top prize of £1,000 and time in a recording studio after impressing judges and banner-waving crowds with her self-penned R&B track, ‘See U Later’, at Xscape in Castleford on Monday. Ten budding chart-toppers from across the district battled it out in true X Factor-style in front of hundreds, leaving the judges torn between the final three - which also included Castleford’s Stephanie Sweeting who sang Lonnie Donegan’s ‘Have a Drink on Me’, and Wakefield’s Rosie Doonan who performed her own track, ‘Hold On’.

Speaking minutes after the winner was announced, Carrie, of Pinfold Avenue, told the Star: “I’m so overwhelmed, I just can’t believe it. It’s like a dream come true. “The atmosphere was absolutely incredible, and I’m so pleased the crowd and judges enjoyed my song and performance. I can’t wait to get into the studio to record new material.”

The Wildcat Dolls opened the show with a spectacular performance from their cabaret tour, before the finalists - Beth Rowett, Katie Studd, Andy Taylor, Jessica Radford, Jessica White, Stephanie Sweeting, Jasmine Evans, Carrie Winfield, Rosie Doonan and Gary Newton - took to the stage. Carrie, who is already making a name for herself on the pubs and clubs circuit, vowed to return and perform for the excited crowd again when she has a number one hit.