Charlotte Jaconelli and partner Jonathan Antoine finished as runners-up in Britain’s Got Talent in 2012. What is she up to now? Charlotte talks to My Italia!
Do you ever wake up thinking it must all be a dream?
Oh definitely, that’s the only way you can describe it. No matter how much experience you have and how much work you put into it you can never get used to what you’re doing.
When did you first discover you could sing like that?
I’ve always gone to theatre school on a Saturday since I was four years old, but I didn’t really start to sing until I was 12 years old when I took singing lessons, which was when I first realised that I wanted to concentrate on my singing. Then about a year later I started performing in my local area.
Your solo album is out in June, can you tell us more about what to expect?
It’s an eclectic sort of grouping. I wanted to keep hold of what I did with Johnny and still have that classical crossover. I’ve also included some bigger pop ballads.
Has going solo enabled you to put your own stamp on this album?
It’s enabled me to pick songs that mean something to me and are my favourite kind of songs to sing, so I have been able to put more of an emotional connection with the songs.
Which part of Italy is your Italian side of the family from?
I am Italian on my Dad’s side, who is from Cambiago, a tiny little village in northern Italy, northeast of Milan. I can’t speak fluent Italian but I can get by, and it’s a perfect excuse to always eat pizza and pasta!
Do you visit Italy often? Which are your favourite areas?
I went to Italy every year on holiday until I was 14 and after that I’ve been more or less most years but not so much recently because of work. But it was nice that when I finished Britain’s Got Talent, me and Johnny got to film a documentary in Italy and I went to places that I haven’t been to before. But I did go on holiday there with my family last year in the summer, which was the first family holiday I’ve had since the show finished. My favourite areas are Rimini, because it’s where my family have always gone on holidays, and Milan.
Our readers are obviously big fans of Italy. What is it about Italy that appeals to you and why do you think people like it so much?
You can go somewhere and you always guarantee you’re going to bump into a nice person. It’s a good atmosphere wherever you go and it’s very open, so you can always have a friendly conversation, which I don’t think you get in England because it’s very populated and there are so many different people. But Italy has a relaxed environment and I love it. Plus, you can always guarantee great food!
Do you have any plans to visit Italy in the near future?
I have no plans yet but I would love to go back to Italy later this year, hopefully for a holiday later in the summer.
Charlotte’s debut solo album Solitaire was released on 9 June 2014 through Sony Classical