Wife reveals secret to Akeen’s Rising Stars win

Akeen Fennell may have captured the crown as Digicel Rising Stars 20 winner, but according to his wife, Angellee Henry Fennell, his victory wasn't just about his voice -- it was a strategic campaign that sealed the deal.

In a candid interview after the finale, Henry Fennell revealed the behind-the-scenes efforts that led to her husband's triumph, crediting both Jamaican voters and their campaign team for his success.

After enduring harsh criticism from the judges over his song choices in the lead-up to the final, Henry Fennell, who recently gave birth to the couple's baby, shared that she had been pushing Akeen from the start to assemble a solid support system.

"I tell people it's not about the noise of the market, but it's about the sale. It's about being strategic and being silent in your movements!" the excited Henry Fennell told THE STAR outside the studio of Television Jamaica on Sunday, immediately after her husband was announced the winner of a cash prize of $1.5 million.

"I'm big on organising, so when he said he was going to do it, I was like, 'Akeen, you can't do this by yourself. For sure, you need a team, so let us get the people together.' I'm super proud!" she said.

Akeen, who brought the house down with his final performance of McFadden & Whitehead's classic Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now, made the moment even more special by serenading his wife. The song's message hit close to home for the couple, as they reflected on the challenges and triumphs that led them to the Rising Stars 20 finale.

Akeen told THE STAR that it was important for his "campaign team" to get a big-up, because they and the voters alike pushed him into the victory spot.

"You (my campaign team) have been absolutely the best," he said.

"Campaigning was tough. If I had known how intense it would be, I wouldn't have entered! But once we got the hang of it, I started to enjoy it," he laughed.

His mother, Karlene Anderson, was also there to celebrate her son's big night, reminiscing about his early days.

"He was singing from he was little, in the bathroom. He's a singer from ever since, and trust me, you want to hear him sing at church. That's where you feel the real singing from him with the Holy Spirit with him," Anderson said.

"And any journey that he takes, we are on it with him!" she added.

Meanwhile, Renecia Bernard, who took second place in the competition, wasn't shy about the uphill battle faced when campaigning.

"Dem seh mi shoulda drop out already [before the final performance show]. When dem a talk, mi nuh really stay fi hear wa dem have fi seh, inu. 'Cause mi nah entertain di negativity, so mi just walk weh," Bernard told The Sunday Gleaner.

When asked if she would consider entering another year, she gave the prompt response, "I don't know yet."