"I can do impressions of lots of people, but my friends and family thought I sounded most like Celine Dion and she is a great person to be to show of your voice.

So my best friend sent in a tape to Granada and they called me back, asking me to go to Manchester for an audition.

They tell you it doesn't matter what you look like, it's the sound that's important. It's really daunting though. It's like pop idol - there are about five judges with clipboards, one with a camera, another with headphones to really listen to your voice and another judging you on performance.

A few weeks later, I got the call to say I'd been chosen! I then got trips to London for a wig fitting and to Manchester for costume fittings. I've got a long, brown wig - the same one Claire Sweeney wore when she was being Celine Dion in the Stars special and the dress is like one from Celine's Vegas show, so it's a bit daring!

I went down to the studios in Manchester the day before the recording and no expense is spared. You get a personal assistant who follows you everywhere, telling you what to do and where to go. There are photos up in make up of the different celebs so they can study them and use every trick in the book to help you look as much like as possible.

The biggest shock was how small the studio is. It looks huge on TV but it's tiny, really intimate - which is a real help!

It's really surreal being in the Granada studios too because you see the cast of Coronation Street having lunch! I saw Bradley Walsh and Peter Kay when I first went down there.

You record the quick chat with Kat in the afternoon before the audience arrives. She really nice - she really puts you at ease and is lots of fun.

After coming through the smoke doors you're really hit by the occasion and that's when you know you're really on Stars in their eyes!

I was up against Meat Loaf, Shaggy, Sharleen Spiteri and Delta Goodrem and it was fantastic when they announced I'd won.

The grand finale

There were only three girls as well as me in the final - Shakira, Dido and Sarah Brightman.

I sang I Drove All Night, a remix of the Roy Orbison classic.

I was favourite with the bookies until Friday, when Sarah Brightman took over. My money was on Phil Collins though. Then we heard that Elvis was going to be the tenth person in the final after viewers voted for their favourite runner up.

I went to Manchester on the Tuesday and began to feel ill right away. I missed most of the experience because I was mostly in bed with flu. There was a doctor on hand, giving me medicine and telling me not to talk but it was a really worrying time and I kept on losing my voice during rehearsals.

But despite being ill, it was fun. I was pleased to get into my costume again because I hadn't worn it since my heat in November! (I've got an option to buy it but I'm not sure if I will - will choose to be associated more with Celine on be 'Laura'?)

We all had TV screens in our dressing rooms so we could see each other going up on stage . Everyone was on tenterhooks because I was ill and hadn't been able to sing the song properly at all - it was great to have everyone there with me. All the heat winners are really good friends - we're now texting each other, saying we need psychiatric help because it's such a come down after spending a week together, going through the whole experience and being on live TV.

'Dido' (I keep on calling everyone by their 'showbiz' names!) was really nice and brought me a hot lemon and honey drink one night to help my voice. And 'Justin Hawkins' was really sweet, staying with me in my dressing room all day helping me to think positive.

This has been a great learning curve for me, working with professionals and doing live TV. I've always wanted to be a singer and so hopefully Stars in their eyes will help. I've already had a few calls of some agents and there is a possibility that I could go on the Stars in their eyes tour which they're currently planning.

I got 38,852 votes so I owe a lot of people a lot of money! I received lots of flowers and cards and Champagne from loads of people, even people I haven't met. It's been fantastic.

In the end, I just couldn't beat the king - he's got fans all over the world - I'm a big fan too! But I guess you could say the king and queen won the show.