SINGAPORE — Another local singing career was kick-started when Jermaine Leong was voted The Final 1 at the finale of the second season of the reality competition show, held tonight (Oct 4) at the Capitol Theatre.

The 17-year-old Temasek Polytechnic student beat 19-year-old Charlene Su to the grand prize of S$50,000 and a recording contract with Hype Records.

“When I heard my name, (my mind) was a blank. In my mind, I was happy, but I think I was too shocked. And I was also trying not to cry,” Leong said.

The finale show, hosted by last season’s Final 1 runner-up Shaun Jansen and actress Nadiah M Din, also saw judges Taufik Batisah and Jaclyn Victor (the first Malaysian Idol), Season 1 winner Farisha Ishak, as well as American Idol Season 11 runner-up Jessica Sanchez performing with the contestants.

As her victory set in, Leong said, in a post-show interview: “Now, I finally have a real tangible platform for me to chase my dreams.”

But first, she’s going to celebrate by eating some junk food. “To celebrate I would like to get some sleep, finally; and I would like to eat, finally. People tell you you cannot eat fried chicken.. I’m going to have some fries now,” she quipped.

As for runner-up Su, she was let down by a throat infection. But “I gave it my best and I’m really happy with what I did today,” said the undergraduate, who plans to continue pursuing music.

And judge Ken Lim, who’s also Hype Records’ head honcho, doesn’t rule out the possibility of taking her under his wing like he did Jansen. “They’re both excellent singers. It’s just a question of guiding them and giving them the right mentor. We still have to find their personalities and make sure that they are suitable for the market in terms of commercial value,” he said of the two girls.

He added: “I’m happy with what the show has managed to achieve and it’s more than just music - it’s about family, it’s about paying it forward, it’s about growing as an individual. And I think these are the foundation for success.”

Catch the repeat telecast of The Final 1 Season 2 finale on Oct 10 at 3pm on MediaCorp TV Channel 5.