Jobless Canadian teenager sleeps rough during talent competition, wins $10,000, gives it all to the homeless

The young singer said he hoped he would would win from the beginning so that he could give the money to those who needed it more than him

Christian, right, pictured at the competition with another entrant (@OccasionalNotes via Twitter)

A jobless teen who slept rough on the street during a talent competition couldn’t believe his luck when he was awarded the top-prize of $10,000 (£5,030) – only to donate it all to the homeless.

19-year-old singer Christian Hudson from Calgary in Canada beat 11 other top finalists to win the money at the Calgary Stampede Talent Search in Alberta.

But, determined to save on hotel costs, Christian spent the duration of the competition in a sleeping bag along a nearby river where he met a few of the province’s homeless – who he said “inspired” him.

The singer said that, as soon as he met the other men on the street, he had hoped he would win the prize money so that he could donate it to those who needed it more than him.

Speaking with the Calgary Herald, he explained how much of an effect the homeless had on him – one in particular.

He described how the man was a “totally normal guy” and added: “If what he told me about his past was true, and the things that were surrounding him never happened to him, he’d be just like me. He’d be a regular guy who could work a regular job.”

In order to take-part in the competition, Christian had to quit his job at a car auction. He doesn’t have a steady income at the moment, but still plans to donate his prize money to the Calgary Drop-In and Rehab Centre, a nearby homeless shelter.