Sam Kelly's Britain's Got Talent dream came to an end on Saturday night – but the Spixworth singer insists that, for him, the competition finale was just the beginning.

Sam Kelly's Britain's Got Talent dream came to an end on Saturday night – but the Spixworth singer insists that, for him, the competition finale was just the beginning.

The 19-year-old gave a moving performance of the Rascal Flatts hit Bless the Broken Road – hailed by the judges as his best of the series – but failed to make the top three in the public vote.

Now he says he hopes to use the competition a springboard to a career in music, with plans for live shows in Norwich and a solo album.

In Saturday's live showdown he was once again praised by all four judges, and told by Simon Cowell that he would 'walk' the show in any other year, but refused to be downbeat at the result.

He said: 'It's so difficult to feel any disappointment at all after having been in a final like that.

'It's been such an amazing show to be a part of and it has been brilliant to get that far.'

Sam missed out to dancing dog duo Ashleigh and Pudsey, whose Mission Impossible-themed routine landed them the �500,000 contract and Royal Variety Performance slot. They beat operatic pair Charlotte and Jonathan, and Welsh boys' choir Only Boys Aloud.

'I'm really proud of how I have done. I felt really good about the performance, and wasn't too nervous beforehand. It was a song I had chosen, it was my own arrangement and I was just really excited to perform it.

'Most of the judges seemed to think it was my best performance, and you can't really ask for more than that in the final.'

The former Sprowston Community High School pupil said he has already started making plans for the future, including songwriting sessions with other musicians and fellow finalist Ryan O'Shaughnessy.

'I just need to crack on with the music now,' he said. 'I've also talked about working with the musicians I played with in the semi-final, so now it's a matter of writing some new songs and performing live as much as possible.'

That could include gigs in Norwich and Sam's university town of Brighton – or wherever there is demand for him to play.

'I'm just so grateful to everyone who voted for me and put me in that position,' he said.

'Hopefully I can pay them back by getting out and playing shows for them, and getting an album recorded.'

The contestants are also keen to organise a Britain's Got Talent tour to take the finalists to fans around the country, but there are not yet any confirmed plans.

'If it happens then great, but regardless of the show, I was always trying to get places with music and I'll be continuing to do that,' said Sam.

'It's a case of building up my contacts in the right places and going from there. I'll just take it as it comes.'