A former Uxbridge performer made her dream come true after winning the UK's Open Mic contest by wowing judges with her voice.
27-year-old Natalie May was crowned the top spot out of 10,000 applicants after a final at Birmingham's NEC.
Natalie, who now lives in Edgware, told getwestlondon she was "that child which dreamt of being a popstar since she could talk".
"I've wanted to sing my whole life and I heard about UK Open Mic online and thought it looked like a cool opportunity for singer songwriters to perform in front of industry professionals," she said.
The singer admitted the pressure of the competition daunted her during the early stages and made her anxious, until she took up mindfulness and meditation.
"When I performed the first few times, the competing aspect was at the forefront of my mind, whereas for the final, I told myself I'm here because I love singing."
Natalie, who has been working on her new EP due out in June, said there is so much to gain from the whole experience, but winning made her feel "euphoric, excited and full of gratitude and relief" after the seven month process to the final.
"The final backstage was like a concert, it was really nice meeting a lot of creative artists from all genres.
"My motto is to feel the fear and do it anyway, fear is to keep you in your comfort space and you don't grow."
Natalie's friends and family who live in Harrow came to support her on the night (January 21), after seeing her soar through a number of other successes.
She has previously released club beat "Sexy Sexy" produced by Rudimental and supported Jessie J on backing vocals on the Alan Carr Show.
DJ Nikki Beatnik, who has played her music before, said: "Natalie May is a gifted singer and writer, she is the real deal. I play her records all over the world."
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