Bright future for Rochdale's Got Talent Winner

Photo: Laura Wild

Rochdale's Got Talent Winner Ellysse Mason

2 More Image(s) In Gallery

Ellysse Mason, 14, from Syke was last week crowned the winner of Rochdale’s Got Talent following a live competition at the Broadfield Park Hotel.

Today (Saturday 29 May) Rochdale Online reporter Laura Wild caught up with Ellysse to see if winning the competition had sunk in and what the teenager has planned for the future.

When asked about the moment Ellysse was named the winner she said: “I was so shocked and also really excited. All I could hear was my mum screaming. I couldn’t speak so I just smiled.”

After Ellysse was presented with her £500 prize money she had to perform again, “I wasn’t nervous as the first time I sang, then I was trying to win the competition, but this time I felt I had to sing really well to prove I deserved to win,” said the singer/songwriter.

At just 14, the £500 prize money is a great amount of money to win, Ellysse has decided to keep £300 aside for music related shopping and £200 for a shopping trip.

Ellysse attends Falinge High School, when she leaves school she hopes to continue to study music at Sixth Form College and then university.

The dream for Ellysse is to be a song writer; she currently writes her own songs and sings them alongside playing the guitar. Ellysse writes all her own material and says she is usually inspired by whatever she is feeling or what has happened that day.

Ellysse’s mum, Emma Travis said the defining moment when she realised Ellysse had a special talent was when she sang a solo in a play at Meanwood Primary School.

“I always knew there was something there, Ellysse has always been a singer but she was quite shy, when she did her first solo at Meanwood I just thought oh my god! She really shone; she sang the song so sweet and so perfect,” said the proud mum.

As a child Ellysse also wrote poems with her mum and all in all comes from quite a creative and musical family. Ellysse wrote her first song about two years ago. Ellysse’s favourite singers at the moment are Colbie Caillat and Taylor Swift and her favourite song is Hey Soul Sister by Train.

Ellysse currently attends the Backdoor Music Project at least once a week and loves taking part, this week she is practising for a big event at the Manchester Contact Theatre. There are also other unconfirmed events in the pipe line for Ellysse.

In her spare time the teen also attends Skylight circus skills training in Rochdale and is always singing around the house.

Ellysse lives with her mum, Emma, step dad Scott and three-year-old brother Ashton. The family are all immensely proud of Ellysse but their focus for now is to make sure Ellysse’s feet are kept firmly on the ground.

Mum, Emma said: “I am so pleased that Ellysse’s dream is coming to light, however we want to make sure that she achieves things the right way, she is just 14 and we want her to keep focused, learn and improve and then realise what the lifestyle of a singer/songwriter is like.

“People have asked if Ellysse is going to go for Britain’s Got Talent but I think that can be very difficult for a young person to be thrown into that lifestyle and also have it taken away from them.

“We want to do this right way and Ellysse will be a better person and performer because of it.”