Fame Academy winner enjoys first day in fast lane

Fame Academy winner David Sneddon was today enjoying his first day in the fast lane – after being given a sports car backstage after last night’s TV talent show.

The jobless pub singer has now swapped busking for pennies on the streets of Glasgow for a £1 million recording contract and a superstar lifestyle.

David, 24, said he was “ecstatic” after topping last night’s Fame Academy final with 3.5 million votes.

“I’ve won, I can’t believe I’ve won,” he said after the show.

“I am so ecstatic, I am very grateful and very humble.”

But show insiders said the 24-year-old was easing himself into the year-long showbiz lifestyle.

After taking the top prize on the BBC fly-on-the-wall fame show last night he was presented with his first “little present” – a shimmering new silver Audi TT convertible, worth £27,000 STG.

But he left the after-show party early – as he had to be up and back on TV early today for the BBC’s Saturday Show.

A show insider said: “There was a gathering after the show. But he had to be up before 6am. He had just a couple of drinks, thanked everyone then went back to the hotel.”

David already has the keys to his luxury penthouse flat in London’s smart St John’s Wood, but has yet to move in. His new neighbours will include supermodel Kate Moss and a host of other celebrities.

Each week he will enjoy a delivery of champagne and flowers.

But he will be leaving his luxury home and heading off to Scotland to spend Christmas with his family and girlfriend, Eleanor, 21, a journalism student.

David will also get a personal stylist and a cameo acting role in a movie.

And when he needs a break from the showbiz whirl he will hop on Concorde for a free holiday in the Caribbean.

David’s £1m album deal is with Mercury Records, who also handle Elton John and Shania Twain.

His spokesman said, “He’s going to sit down with management over the next few days to look at moving forward and getting things moving.”

And David said despite all the excitement, he would be getting straight down to work on the promotion for his next single, due out in January.

“I’m really hoping that I can write a good album and that’s the first thing I’m thinking of,” he said.

But David, who used to sing in Glasgow pubs with his band The Martians, nearly never even made it into the famous Fame Academy – and only applied out of desperation.

After last night’s show he said: “I was so skint. I borrowed a lot of money from friends and my girlfriend and I was struggling to get through those times thinking that my music wasn’t getting anywhere.

“I had thought I would go back to university because I was just so sick of the rejection. Fame Academy, it was just through desperation.”

He was only called in as a stand-in at the last minute to replace Naomi in week two who left with throat problems.