Leanne Mitchell said she concealed herself in the studio in the wake of the BBC1 competition, which she won last year.

The singer, from Lowestoft, Suffolk, who is shortly to release her debut album after landing a major record deal as her prize, said she had not been seeking fame when she entered the show.

Mitchell, 29, who won the show last spring after being mentored by Sir Tom Jones, said: "I found it difficult to come to terms with being in the limelight, as it was something I never thought possible. I knew that it definitely wasn't fame I was after, so being recognised out and about took time to get used to. I hid away in the studio."

Mitchell said she found it "soothing" to work on her self-titled album, which is being released on May 27.

She went on: "Focusing on the album was the best thing I could have done at the time. I found it soothing, and rewarding. I can't wait to get it out there."

The BBC is preparing for a second series of The Voice, which is expected to launch later this month.

Runner-up Tyler James has already released his album A Place I Go, but despite being signed to Island Records he made it to just 49 in the charts.