I'll be a fresh Dorothy, pledges 'Over the Rainbow' winner

The 18-year-old, from Urmston in Greater Manchester, was thrilled to be handed the ruby slippers first made famous by Judy Garland after being crowned the winner of BBC1's popular talent show.

From next March, Danielle will lead the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new West End production of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium having captured the voting public's imagination.

Last night viewers watched her triumph over fellow finalist Sophie Evans, 17, from South Wales, after fellow competitor Lauren Samuels, 22, from London, became the first of the trio to be knocked out.

In an interview yesterday morning, she said: "It's just incredible, my feet haven't touched the ground. With a few early nights in my pyjamas I might just come back down to earth. Everything has moved so fast.

"After being on television for the last two months I'm ready for anything. It's what I've always wanted to do with my life."

She added: "Throughout this competition, I never thought I'd win, it never crossed my mind. I was so shocked, all I wanted to do was hug Sophie and enjoy the experience.

"It's an amazing opportunity considering I've not been to drama school and I'm going to bring a single out."

Before signing up for the show she was a full-time student in Knutsford, Cheshire, with dreams of becoming a performer.

Following her win, composer Lord Lloyd Webber paid tribute to Danielle's raw talent, stating: "I'm really pleased with the result, the nation has never got it wrong yet... Now the hard work starts but my goodness me you can act with soul and that's something that's very, very special."