Over the past eight weeks the competitors have sung, danced and acted their way to the final to secure the lead roles of Sophie and Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre in London.
Announcing the winners of the ITV1 show on Sunday was host Zoe Ball, who said: “I can now reveal that the winners of Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream are Stevie and Tobias.”
Tobias Turley and Stevie Doc with the Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream judges and Judy Craymer (Fremantle/PA) (Image: (Fremantle/PA))
Speaking to the PA news agency following her win, Doc, 22, said: “This is just unbelievable. Actually unbelievable. I don’t believe that it’s happening.”
She added: “I was watching my dad when Zoe was about to read out who won, and he couldn’t even look up and I was like, oh my god, this is just as big to him as it is to me.”
Discussing his win, Turley, 23, said to the agency: “I was quite nervous and hesitant to even apply for this show in the first place. But I thought it’d be such a great thing.
“I just thought so many people would apply and I thought why would it be me (but) you don’t win the raffle if you don’t buy a ticket.”
The competition has seen 14 aspiring musical theatre performers take to the stage in a bid to impress a panel of judges comprising comedian Alan Carr, singer Jessie Ware, Glee star Amber Riley and Les Miserables actress Samantha Banks.
In the final, musical theatre teacher Doc, from Glasgow, was vying for the role of Sophie with Esme Bowdler, 23, a barista from Chester.
Turley, a singing waiter from Somerset, took the title of Sky against Owen Johnston, 25, a theatre usher from Belfast.
During the 75-minute show, broadcast live on Sunday, the finalists performed to the song Mamma Mia before Doc sang Thank You For The Music and Bowdler sang My Love, My Life.
Elsewhere Johnston sang Our Last Summer while Turley performed I’ve Been Waiting For You, before the show culminated in a group rendition of The Winner Takes It All.
Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus offered the contestants a heartful message and said: “I just wanted to say a huge congratulations to each and every one of you on making it to the finals.”
Mamma Mia! the musical, featuring songs from the back catalogue of Swedish supergroup Abba, has been on stage for decades and in 2008 the movie was released, starring Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper.
Creator and global producer of Mamma Mia! Judy Craymer has closely followed the winners’ journeys from the very beginning.
She said: “It’s a joyous result and I’m delighted to welcome Stevie and Tobias to join the West End cast in this very special year celebrating Mamma Mia!’s 25th anniversary.
“All our contestants are so talented and worked so hard, they went through the most intensive musical theatre boot camp with such energy, flair and commitment.
“They were all such a joy to work with and are all winners in my eyes.”
The winners will make their West End debut in seven weeks, on Monday January 29 2024.
West End and tickets for Mamma Mia! starring Doc and Turley are on sale now.
