Entertainment

Britain’s Got Talent finalist Letitia Cuney killed after car crash aged 53

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Two women stood wearing pink at the bottom of a staircase.
Letitia Cuney and her partner Cheryl Pierre both died in the collision (Picture: Cover Images)

Letitia Cuney, who was a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent, has died aged 53 following a car crash.

Her partner Cheryl Pierre, 47, also died after the collision, which happened on December 28 on the A10 near Chittering in Cambridgeshire.

The crash involved a white Nissan Qashqai and a silver BMW 52OD, with Cuney driving the latter.

Cuney reached the final of the ITV talent competition in 2024 as a singer in the NSO Choir.

In a tribute made by her family, Cuney was described as a ‘true legend’ who ‘led an industrious and fulfilling life as a teacher’.

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Police arrested a 54-year-old man from Haddenham after the crash, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, drug driving and possession of class A drugs.

Tributes have been paid to two women who died following a crash on the A10. / Letitia Cuney, 53, and Cheryl Pierre, 47, who were from Northamptonshire, died at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in the days following a collision near Chittering between the white Nissan Qashqai they were in and a silver BMW 520D at about 4.45pm on 28 December. / The BMW driver, a 54-year-old man from Haddenham, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drug driving, and possession of class A drugs and was bailed until 27 March. / A passenger in the BMW was taken to hospital with minor injuries. / Teacher Letitia, of Sunnyside, Ecton, who was driving the Nissan, died on 30 December, while Cheryl, of Duke Street, Northampton, died on 1 January. / Letitia's family described her as "a true legend". / In a statement they said: "Letitia grew up in America as the child of a military family. Guided by her values and love for her family, she made the courageous decision to move to England with her one-year-old child, despite having never visited the country before. This move was driven by the more relaxed laws around same-sex relationships, allowing her and her family to live openly and safely. / "Following her move, Letitia led an industrious and fulfilling life as a teacher. Known to many as 'Miss Cuney', she is remembered as a teacher who took time to understand each pupil while undoubtedly being the funniest teacher in the school. She was once labelled as a 'legend' by her students, a title she wore with pride and often reminded her daughter that her actions were due to the fact 'your mum's a legend'. / "Over the years, students continuously reach out to thank her and say she was their favourite teacher. Letitia worked in a number of schools across Essex and Northamptonshire, touching the lives of countless students. / "In the last ten years, Letitia became a devoted member of Northampton's Britain's Got Talent finalist choir, NSO. She was seen front and centre during their performances and regularly joked that the choir director had stolen her dance moves to teach the rest of the group. ...
Letitia was a finalist with on Britain’s Got Talent 2024 (Picture : Cover Images)

He’s been released on bail until March 27.

Letitia was the child of a military family and grew up in the US.

In a statement, her family said: ‘Guided by her values and love for her family, she made the courageous decision to move to England with her one-year-old child, despite having never visited the country before.’

They continued: ‘To everyone who met Letitia, she was a force to be reckoned with – an energetic, powerful presence and a genuinely kind-hearted individual.

‘She will be sorely missed as a mother, sister, daughter, teacher, colleague, and friend to many.’

Tributes have been paid to two women who died following a crash on the A10. / Letitia Cuney, 53, and Cheryl Pierre, 47, who were from Northamptonshire, died at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in the days following a collision near Chittering between the white Nissan Qashqai they were in and a silver BMW 520D at about 4.45pm on 28 December. / The BMW driver, a 54-year-old man from Haddenham, was arrested on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, drug driving, and possession of class A drugs and was bailed until 27 March. / A passenger in the BMW was taken to hospital with minor injuries. / Teacher Letitia, of Sunnyside, Ecton, who was driving the Nissan, died on 30 December, while Cheryl, of Duke Street, Northampton, died on 1 January. / Letitia's family described her as "a true legend". / In a statement they said: "Letitia grew up in America as the child of a military family. Guided by her values and love for her family, she made the courageous decision to move to England with her one-year-old child, despite having never visited the country before. This move was driven by the more relaxed laws around same-sex relationships, allowing her and her family to live openly and safely. / "Following her move, Letitia led an industrious and fulfilling life as a teacher. Known to many as 'Miss Cuney', she is remembered as a teacher who took time to understand each pupil while undoubtedly being the funniest teacher in the school. She was once labelled as a 'legend' by her students, a title she wore with pride and often reminded her daughter that her actions were due to the fact 'your mum's a legend'. / "Over the years, students continuously reach out to thank her and say she was their favourite teacher. Letitia worked in a number of schools across Essex and Northamptonshire, touching the lives of countless students. / "In the last ten years, Letitia became a devoted member of Northampton's Britain's Got Talent finalist choir, NSO. She was seen front and centre during their performances and regularly joked that the choir director had stolen her dance moves to teach the rest of the group. ...
The couple’s families have made tributes to the women (Picture: Cover Images)

Cheryl’s family called her a ‘much-loved mum, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend, with a massive heart’.

They said: ‘She was completely selfless and dedicated her life to her children, always putting them first and doing everything she could to give them the best life possible.

‘She was the centre of our family, bringing everyone together, offering a shoulder to cry on, and giving the most thoughtful advice whenever it was needed.’

NSO, which stands for Northants Sing Out, is ‘the award‑winning cross‑genre community choir from Northamptonshire that redefined what a choir can be’, according to its website.

They stand for inclusion and champion authenticity, singing a range of different music with voices from the ‘heart of the community’.

The group, made up of people from professions like teaching, caring and accounting, received backing from Madonna – after singing one of her songs the pop icon reposted a video of them onto her Instagram story.

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