I won't have a normal life: Marlisa
When Australia met Marlisa Punzalan, she was the shy teenager who was the first singer to audition for The X Factor this year.
But she is now one of the most recognisable names in the country after becoming the youngest person to win the Seven talent search.
Punzalan previously said she used to be so quiet that barely any of her classmates at her Sydney high school knew who she was.
However, the 15-year-old told Access All Areas her self- esteem had blossomed during her journey on the series.
"The show has helped me build my confidence so much," Punzalan said yesterday after being named the 2014 winner.
"It has given me so much exposure and experience, and I think going out there each week really helped me. I got used to it and I feel at home on the stage now.
"I won't have a normal life after this, I won't be an ordinary person. I will be a star and I am so happy for that."
After dancing until her "bones ached" at the X Factor afterparty, the realisation of what lies ahead for Punzalan has begun to sink in.
Now signed with record label Sony, the teen's debut single Stand by You went to No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart the morning after her victory and she will head out on the road to support *Guy Sebastian * on his Madness tour next year.
But the chaos of her win means Punzalan will have to put her Year Nine studies on hold until at least the end of the year, something she said her parents Andrea and Lito had made peace with.
"I will probably be doing home school because it is difficult to go back to school and do normal things now I have a Sony deal," the singer explained.
As for the naysayers who have suggested Punzalan is too young to cope with the pressure that comes with being in the spotlight, she said it was about talent rather than age.
"I am not really worried about the age thing," she said. "I have had so much experience now."
Backing Punzalan all the way has been her celebrity mentor Ronan Keating, whose daughter *Marie * is a similar age to the songbird.
She said the Boyzone star had become a father figure to her.
"Ronan was amazing," Punzalan said. "He is always standing up for me and he gives me such great advice. He was like a father."
