‘WINNING MEANT I COULD BE MYSELF AND PUT MY MUSIC OUT THERE’
Singer reveals what it’s been like since landing top spot on show
IT’S been almost a year since Shellyann Evans walked away with the top prize from the BBC talent show, All Together Now. The final was a “whirlwind” said the Swansea-based singer, but she can still remember the moment she was handed the trophy by former Spice Girl, Geri Horner.
“After she handed me my trophy, she wished me luck,” Shellyann said. Asked what she planned to spend the £50,000 prize money on, she told the live audience she would probably put it towards her wedding.
It was the first fiancé Pete had heard about a wedding. Although they had been engaged since July 2018, they hadn’t even set a date.
“Afterwards he said, ‘so are we actually going to make this happen then and get married?’” Shellyann said.
So what does happen in the minutes after you win a talent show broadcast to the nation, and does it set you up for the rest of your life? And did they get married?
First up was a party straight after the final, that continued well into the small hours of Sunday morning.
“It was crazy, an uproar,” said Shellyann, who still lives in Swansea with Pete, son Regan and stepchildren Josh and Holly.
In the following weeks, she found herself spending as much time in London as at home in Swansea.
“Winning meant I could finally use the platform and be myself and put my music out there, something I have worked for since I was a child.
“Then Live Nation, a huge entertainment company, put me on a mini-tour around the country.
“I released a single in July which didn’t really go anywhere, but there was so much going on at the time.”
The tour was her first solo tour with a full live band and a chance to play some original music. Her sister was in the backing group, which was a massive boost and helped steady her nerves, she said.
Far more “crazy” were the whistlestop trips to Dubai and Indonesia, where she would fly out for a 20-minute gig, sleep in a hotel then fly home the next day.
“It was all off the back of the show,” she said. “Promoters had watched the show and then booked me for a 20-minute slot. The only thing was, it took me 17-odd hours to get there.”
The seasoned performer, who has spent years doing weddings and gigs locally, has stuck with the same agency since winning.
“They were like, ‘You can go to Indonesia now’, and I was like, ‘What?’,” explained Shellyann.
The flights out were the first time the 31-year-old had ever flown long haul.
There was also an appearance at a Pride gig in Gran Canaria.
“It was crazy – it blew my mind,” she added.
Being able to come home to her family in Swansea was a welcome break from showbiz life, however.
“I have got to know people in different ways since the show,” Shellyann said.
“I would see people in the street and they would say ‘Oh my God, you did that show’ and that took a while to get used to.
“But then everything calmed down and I can do normal things again. I can just be a mum, while still doing a bit of both.
“It wasn’t like The X Factor or The
Voice. Those bigger shows are on a bigger scale and All Together Now hadn’t built up as much.
“The show was amazing to me and pushed me as much as they could. Now it’s just about getting the album out and going for it.”
After the single, called Strong, which was released in July 2019, the plan was to carry on writing and recording for the album. And to plan that wedding.
After winning last April, Shellyann said: “Could you imagine Geri giving us away, that would be amazing.”
Rob Beckett, who presented the show, has stayed in touch since the final, but it is looking unlikely Geri will be giving Shellyann and Pete away. They haven’t stayed in touch.
The couple set a date and chose a venue – Oldwalls in the Gower. They were due to tie the know later this year in November, but coronavirus has put that idea on hold.
The coronavirus pandemic has also stalled plans for the album release. But it will happen, she promises, saying so far she has wanted to develop a strong fan base and network with the right people.
“We want to get it right,” she continued. “There were so many different offers and I wasn’t sure what to do or who to go with.
“In this business, you have to get it right the first time.”
As for the prize money, she has managed to make a small dent in that.
“I’ve basically tried to get everything I need for my singing for the years to come so I’ll always have work,” Shellyann added.
She’s built a home recording studio, bought the family a new car and treated everyone to a family holiday.
For now, she can only share her music on her Facebook page, raising money for the NHS during lockdown with some live gigs.
One positive to come from the lockdown is she has more time to engage with her fans. But she can’t wait to finally get her music out there and prove that her maximum score in the All Together Final wasn’t just a one-off.