Lee wins right to don the dreamcoat

Former postman Lee Mead had his dream come true when he won BBC talent contest Any Dream Will Do on Saturday.

He will now take the lead role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in the West End, where he will earn £1,500 a week for eight performances a week.

Some three million people phoned in to vote in the final round of the contest, with 25-year-old Lee emerging the public's favourite ahead of Keith Jack, 19, and Lewis Bradley, 17.

He said: "I would like to thank everyone very much. I am going to go out there and give you a great show - so come along and see it."

Lee was the only one of the final three who had previous experience of working in a professional musical environment, having appeared in the cast of Miss Saigon and Phantom of the Opera, which was also written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (pictured).

Despite the tight contest, the result was never in doubt in the mind of Lee's nan Lilian Horning, 77.

She told the Daily Mirror that she'd known Lee was destined to play the role since he was eight.

"When he was little he went to see Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat with his other gran," she said.

"He saw Joseph and pointed to him and said 'that's who I want to be.' Acting and singing is all he ever wanted to do."

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