Speaking on the Australian morning show “Sunrise,” Punzalan said she is “very happy” that all her efforts paid off and she is now living her dream of becoming a recording artist.
“I am feeling like I’m on a cloud right now. I just can’t believe I’ve done this at 15. My family is so proud of me. They just can’t believe that I’ve made it this far at this age. They are just so proud of me because I’ve put all my effort into it. I’m so happy,” she said.
Punzalan said she did not really expect to win because her competitor, Dean Rey, was a crowd favorite. That's why Punzalan felt elated when Rey immediately approached her and gave her a big hug after she was announced as the winner.
“I thought Dean had it as well. He has all the worlds. He is the whole package. I just didn’t expect too much because I didn’t want to be depressed. He was really proud of me. He said congratulations with a really big smile,” she said.
Born to Filipino parents who migrated to Australia years ago, Punzalan was a normal school girl in the suburb of Mount Druitt in Sydney before the contest.
Asked what she plans to do next after “The X Factor,” the teen singer said: “School is really important and my parents still stress the importance of it. I will still do school, I’ll do home schooling now that I’ve won. I’ll take it one step at a time.”
Punzalan said she will soon be working on her debut album, which will contain her first single “I’ll Stand By You.”
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
