BGT winner Colin Thackery on dealing with fame as a Chelsea Pensioner

Britain's Got Talent winner Colin Thackery has revealed he is making the most of life as an 89 year-old pop star and says he plans to carry on doing so as long as he can sing.

Speaking to ITV News, the army veteran of 25 years described the moment he won the talent show, saying "the amount of noise [the crowd] made was extraordinary".

The Chelsea Pensioner went on: "The end was extraordinary with all those people shouting my name.

"I thought, 'my God, it's like being a popstar at 89 years of age'."

He's even had people photographing him at his local shops - a far cry from his life at the Royal Hospital Chelsea where he lives - but says he is enjoying it.

"Well why not," he said, "you don't know how long it's going to last, you know, this whirlwind.

"This roundabout is going round and round pretty fast and one day I'll fall off but that's to be expected and I shall enjoy it right up til that point - as long as I can sing because that's what I like to do."

Colin says he's making the most of his new found fame. Credit: PA

Despite winning being "lovely", Colin said his favourite moment "was actually just singing, because I just love to sing".

He added: "I do believe, and I mean this sincerely, it is a God given gift, I like to use it and if I can give pleasure to people using my voice, I'll do that as long as I can."

His late wife Joan, as anyone who watched will know, was Colin's inspiration throughout the competition and he revealed he "imagined her face" beside the camera during every performance.

Colin, pictured with (L-R) Alesha Dixon, David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell, is now a celebrity himself after winning the show.

He said he tells his wife about everything that happens in his life and believes she would have been "pretty proud" that he won the talent show.

He said: "I've got a big picture in my berth, who I talk to every day would you believe.

"It sounds bonkers really but I always wish her good day and good night and tell her what's happened.

"I shall tell her about this."

Not only did Joan inspire him to "sing from the heart" in the competition but she inspired what he sang as well.

He said: "I sing songs that I like to sing, and songs that I feel have got a message.

"The last one of course was 'Love Changes Everything' and I sincerely believe that it does.

"It changes a lot from the first time you ever meet the girl and you can't get her out of your head and that's a sort of love, they call in infatuation.

"As you grow older of course it's a completely different kind of love and that song summed it all up actually - it does change everything."

Colin wore his army uniform while performing on the show, saying it made him proud to see others in the crowd dressed the same.

Colin wore his army uniform during his performances.

He said: "I was really chuffed that there were men and women of the three services there and they were saluting.

"They made them stand in the isles, saluting at the last song."

Despite having left the forces many years ago, Colin says "you never ever become 100% civilian".

He said: "Joan always had a saying: 'You take the guy out the army but you can't take the army out of the man' and that's absolutely true.

"I think you never ever become 100% civilian and of course as soon as you come here and step back into your uniform it all floods back again."

It was those years in the army that made the Britain's Got Talent prize all the more special.

On his chance to perform at the Royal Variety Performance he said: "It would be lovely if Her Majesty was there, I doubt if she will be there, but it would be lovely if she was.

"I've served her for 25 years.

"If I could sing to her I would die happy."

The show's other prize - a "gobsmacking" sum of £250,000 - has been donated to the Royal Chelsea Hospital, his family and the "bank of Colin".