I'd Do Anything - Samantha Barks and Jessie Buckley lose final

Monday, 2 June 2008

Over the course of a tense and dramatic evening, I'd Do Anything winner Jodie Prenger performed alongside fellow finalists 18-year old Jessie Buckley from County Kerry and 17-year old Samantha Barks from Isle of Man.

All of them set out to prove to the public that they had the power, range and emotion to become a West End leading lady.

After an opening performance of I'd Do Anything, each finalist performed a solo, a duet with one of the winning Olivers and a trio of Maybe This Time from Cabaret.

After performing their songs and receiving the usual round of feedback from Andrew Lloyd Webber and the expert panel of Denise Van Outen, John Barrowman, Barry Humphries and Cameron Mackintosh, the Nancys faced the agony of waiting to hear who was in third place.

At the end of the first live show, Samantha received fewest votes, putting in third place.

Samantha said after her eviction: "I'm very, very proud of myself – I made it to the final which is something I thought I'd never do.

"It's been an amazing experience – thanks to everyone who has supported me."

In the second live show of the evening, the two remaining finalists, Jodie and Jessie, both performed the Nancy classic As Long As He Needs Me, and their favourite songs of the series – I Have Nothing by Whitney Houston for Jodie, and The Man That Got Away from A Star Is Born for Jessie.

It was then time for Graham Norton to break the news that Jodie was Nancy, leaving Jessie in second place.

Jessie said after the show: "I'm crying tears of happiness because I've just had the happiest experience of my whole life! It's onwards and upwards and now I'm reaching for the moon."

There was also a Nancy and Oliver reunion as all 12 Nancys and Olivers performed I'd Do Anything.

And there was also a special performance from Lee Mead, last year's winner of the competition to find Joseph, who performed Any Dream Will Do with all 12 Olivers.