Singer songwriter Joe Hood became Testing 1,2,3's sixth winner on Friday. Here, GRAHAM MOODY talks to the 22-year-old former Whitgift School pupil about what winning means to him and where he wants to go from here.

Graham Moody: Congratulations Joe. Are you surprised to have won or were you quietly confident?

Joe Hood: I was surprised, I didn't really think about it to be honest. I just wanted to go and play a gig and it is kind of secondary that I won it. I don't think anyone goes to win these things.

GM: How did you find the final on Friday?

JH: It was great, the atmosphere and the crowd were wonderful and it's a venue I haven't played in Croydon before. Everyone was very friendly and no one was being over competitive about it, we were all playing in the dressing rooms together. It was like a very friendly version of XFactor in that there was no Simon Cowell. The judges were more Dannii Minogue and very nice, there was nothing unpleasant said.

GM: How was your performance?

JH: I did three songs, two of my own and then Beyonce's Crazy In Love which everyone had to do. I had a week to prepare that and just took Beyonce's lyrics and sung it over one of my songs which seemed to work.

GM: You've won a spot at the Croydon Summer Festival too.

JH: Yes, that's exciting. I didn't realise that was one of the prizes and had been harassing the lady who is organising it to book me a spot but now I have ended up playing there anyway. I live about a minute's walk away from Lloyd's Park too which is great.

GM: How long have you been involved with music?

JH: I have been playing music since I was a kid and have been gigging and recording my own stuff for about a year and a half. I tend to try not to describe my music, I prefer for people to listen to it. I didn't really know about pop music until I was 18, I had only ever known classical music, so I suppose it is sort of pop.

GM: What instruments do you play?

JH: For the final it was just me and a guitar but a lot of the time I play with a band and I sing and play keyboard or guitar, occasionally I will break out a banjo.

GM: What's next for you now?

JH: At the moment I am recorded my first full album. I have released two EPs on i-Tunes before so I think it is time for me to make a proper album. The next couple of months I am only playing sporadic gigs, the majority of the time I will be recording.

Visit myspace.com/joehoodmusic.