[Arneldo]

ROBBIE WILLIAMS might want to look away now – eight-year-old Connie Talbot has done what he never managed to do . . . crack America.

The Britain’s Got Talent cutie has stormed to the top of the Billboard 100 charts with the Bob Marley song Three Little Birds, meaning she has the top-selling single in the whole of the US.

And her debut album Over The Rainbow is currently in the Top Ten over there.

What’s more, PR legend Max Clifford believes Connie could become a huge and very wealthy star. He says: “When you’ve got a No 1 record in America, then certainly you could make £1million in the next 12 months.

“She could go into movies because she’s so cute and there’s potential in advertising. So easily £1million in the next year — and then the sky’s the limit.”

It’s the latest high for Connie in a whirlwind year which has included filming a video in Jamaica, proving more popular than Madonna — in Taiwan — and being interviewed on Oprah.

But there is a downside to being an international star at such a young age — she still has to do her school work. In an exclusive interview with The Sun, she says: “I’ve got lots of homework to do this weekend. I’ve got maths and literacy. I’m rubbish at maths.”

Connie’s down-to-earth attitude extends to her new-found fame, too. She adds: “When my friends ask me what I’ve been up to, I say, ‘Not much’ because I don’t want to be a show-off, it’s not nice.”

And even though she is a famous pop star, at times she still gets an ear-bashing from mum Sharon, 39.

“She nags if my bedroom’s messy,” giggles Connie.

Although her studies are still a priority, her school — Blackwood Primary, near the family’s home in Streetly, West Midlands — now also acts as Connie’s fan mail depot, according to dad Gavin, a 41-year-old property maintenance engineer.

He says: “Getting to No 1 in America is incredible. We’re just so proud of her and we hope the UK is proud of her. She’s just a little girl from England.”

He adds: “We’ve got a few things planned in the next few weeks, with Germany and Korea, but then we’ll just see what happens.

Singing sensation ... Connie

Singing sensation ... Connie

“We take everything as it comes. We just want Connie to enjoy it.”

Connie adds: “I still go to school and I enjoy it very much, especially art and music.

“I really liked school yesterday because it was Wear Your Own Clothes Day and you could make a sandwich.

“I made mine with those hundreds and thousands, sweets, crisps and chocolate. It was disgusting!”

Fans of Britain’s Got Talent will remember the gap-toothed little girl, then aged six, who stole last year’s show with her adorable rendition of Judy Garland’s Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

Initially judge Simon Cowell was bowled over by Connie’s performances on the ITV1 talent show, saying: “This girl is special.

“I’ll make a prediction that Connie will sell more records than Joss Stone this year.”

But there were tears when she lost out to mobile phone salesman Paul Potts in the final and more heartache when Simon U-turned on his promise of a record deal, claiming she was just too young.

Instead, Connie signed with the small independent label Rainbow Records.

Now, having just released her second album on Monday — Connie Talbot’s Christmas Album — look who is having the last laugh.

She says: “I’ve been to Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Poland and Jamaica. They were all really good.

“In Korea they asked us to eat this thing without telling us what it was so we ate it and said it was nice and they told us it was sea slug.

“It wasn’t really nice — we were just being polite.”

No such problems in the States though, as Connie recalls: “America was my favourite — I liked all the states and the food is just like English food.

“I like Americans but sometimes I couldn’t understand them because of their accents and sometimes they couldn’t understand me.”

While most of her classmates are still practising joined-up writing, Connie has been perfecting her autographs.

Limo

She says: “Sometimes I get people coming up to me, but not all the time. They just say hello and I say hello and I do a signature for them.”

For her eighth birthday last week, Connie celebrated by taking her four best friends bowling — the only clue to her stardom being the limo she picked them up in.

Next on the agenda is a trip to Berlin for the German version of Children In Need, Heart Of A Child, another week in Korea and her own karaoke Wii game out next year in which she gives her verdicts on the contestants’ efforts, Simon Cowell-style.

Connie’s earnings from all this activity have gone into a trust fund which she will have access to when she is 18.

Otherwise, the family have not treated themselves to anything. Although they moved house recently they are still renting rather than buying. And even though they would love a piano, they haven’t got room for one.

Advertisement
Advertisement

As to fame and fortune, Connie insists she knows nothing of either.

She says: “I don’t feel famous, I’m just normal. Apart from moving house, nothing has changed.”

Her main priority at the moment is that of any little girl — to get Father Christmas to bring her what she wants.

She says: “I haven’t written to him yet because it’s a bit early, but I definitely want a bike.

“I’ll just wait and see what Santa brings me.”

Sun