£50,000 raised as Dawn’s the Crypt Factor champion

But on Thursday night the lawyer revealed a talent for showbusiness with a stirring performance at a charity singing competition.

The 36-year-old won Crypt Factor 2013 which this year raised a record-breaking £50,000 for St George’s Crypt and LionHeart.

Ms Allen was one of nine acts who appeared before an audience of 700 property professionals at Elland Road in Leeds.

Despite suffering from a sore throat on the night, the senior associate at Pinsent Masons won the most votes with her powerful rendition of When Loves Takes Over by David Guetta and Kelly Rowlands.

“Going up there was terrifying,” Ms Allen told the Yorkshire Post.

“Standing on stage and singing in front of so many people is one of the scariest things I’ve ever done but to help raise such an amazing amount of money for two very deserving charities definitely makes it worthwhile.

“The standard of all the acts was really high so to win the competition was a real privilege.”

A panel of judges decided which of the nine acts made the final. Lyndsay Burns, of Harvey Burns & Co, Richard Lewis of Town Centre Securities, Claire Wilkinson of Addleshaw Goddard and Jonathan Morgan of Morgans City Living entertained the audience with impressions of X Factor judges Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh, Tulisa Contostavlos and Simon Cowell.

Two other acts made the final alongside Ms Allen. Craig Burrow, a director at Bruntwood, sang and danced his way through Celebration by Kool and the Gang, while Wrong Direction, a boy band featuring Tom Brammeld of Jones Lang LaSalle, Nick Prescott of Gent Visick, Nick Salkeld of Fox Lloyd Jones, Patrick Carter of Savills and Ed Harrowsmith of Knight Frank, performed an energetic version of Never Forget by Take That.

Alex Duckett, a previous winner of Crypt Factor, compered the event.

“It helped with the crowd being so positive,” he said. “People do like to let their hair down.”

The chartered surveyor at Knight Frank said the Crypt Factor has gone from strength to strength over the last seven years.

In that time, property professionals have raised more than £250,000 for charity.

“The business community is in a position to raise substantial funds,” Mr Duckett told the Yorkshire Post.

Martin Patterson of St George’s Crypt, the Leeds-based charity which provides support for homeless people, said: “For Yorkshire’s property industry to provide such a show of strength and support St George’s Crypt in this way is absolutely fantastic, and everyone associated with the charity is hugely appreciative.

“This money will be used to fund a programme of resettlement to aid the next step on the journey of rehabilitation for both former clients and current residents who more often than not have found themselves in difficult situations through no fault of their own.”

LionHeart offers help and support to members of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

Davina Goodchild, of LionHeart, said: “This year’s Crypt Factor was the biggest and best by far which resulted in an amazing atmosphere and a record amount being raised.”

Addleshaw Goddard, Town Centre Securities and Morgans City Living sponsored the event.