The production is set to begin performances at the London Palladium March 29. Hope, who hails from Knutsford near Manchester, was a full-time student, who recently quit her part-time job as a waitress to focus on her studies and her dream of becoming an entertainer. According to the BBC website for the TV show, Hope's "big passion is drama, but she has danced in front of large audiences at local dance festivals, including BBC African Dance Project at Bridgewater Hall, and the Dance House Annual Cheshire Platform."

In the finale, Hope beat out 17-year-old Sophie Evans from Wales and 22-year-old Lauren Samuels, from London. Previous BBC-TV casting shows have seen Connie Fisher, Lee Mead and Jodie Prenger go on to headline new productions of The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Oliver!, respectively.

To book tickets for The Wizard of Oz, contact the box office on 0844 412 2957, or visit www.wizardofozthemusical.com.