By Julie Armstrong

Last updated 13:01, Monday, 08 September 2008

A Carlisle choirboy who found fame on Britain’s Got Talent releases his debut album next Monday.

Andrew Johnston's album cover

Andrew Johnston celebrates his 14th birthday next week, and already has a record deal worth £1 million with Simon Cowell’s label SyCo, part of music giant SonyBMG.

Andrew spent six weeks recording One Voice in a studio in London, a city he had never visited before appearing on the ITV talent show in which he finished third.

The tracks, picked by Simon Cowell, include Bright Eyes from Watership Down, The Snowman’s theme Walking in the Air and Eric Clapton’s Tears in Heaven.

Andrew, who shares Leona Lewis’ vocal coach, said: “I hadn’t sung many of the tracks before. But I knew them all and, anyway, I like a challenge.”

It is a refreshingly confident comment from the once-shy schoolboy, who was in the past bullied for his interest in classical music.

That was before he captured the heart of millions of viewers – with a song he learned in Carlisle Cathedral’s choir.

Performing in front of Simon Cowell was the first time he had held a microphone in his hand.

Andrew is quick to defend the notoriously ‘nasty’ judge. “He might look bad on telly but really he’s great, he doesn’t mess around, just tells the truth,” he said.

Andrew was unable to reveal how many of his own choices appear on the album, but he did say Pie Jesu, the song which first endeared him to TV audiences, is one of his favourites on there.

“The show has made me more confident,” he said.

“It has definitely got easier performing live.”

He has not seen his former bullies since finding success. “To be honest, I don’t give them a second thought now,” he said. “I’m proud of what I’ve achieved so I’m glad I ignored them.”

His feet had hardly touched the ground when he was off touring Britain with the nine other finalists, which received an “incredible” reaction from the audience. “Especially when Faryl Smith and I did a duet of Walking in the Air. Aled Jones has long been a hero of mine. He was a child star who’s gone on to have a really good career as an adult performer, something I’d love to achieve.”

Carlisle was not one of the tour venues, though his hometown fans did get the chance to see him at Bitts Park last month, along with Boyzone, McFly and The Hoosiers, at Carlisle Live. Andrew was most looking forward to seeing the girls in electric string quartet eScala, who he met on Britain’s Got Talent.

Opera and classical music is Andrew’s first love and his hero is Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, but he is also a big fan of Annie Lennox.

He says people do not treat him differently now, apart from strangers. “It’s great, they come up to you and ask for pictures and autographs. It’s good fun. Sometimes, it all seems a bit unreal.

“I mean, I’ve even got my own manager which feels quite weird. This is the most incredible experience and it’s changed my life.

“I’m just so happy that I entered the show.”