Cilmi Denies Drunk Awards Appearance

The newcomer swept the board at the Aussie awards ceremony on Sunday (19Oct08) - scooping six gongs after less than a year in the spotlight.

Cilmi took to the stage to accept each award, including Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist, and appeared drunk as she slurred her words and rambled incoherently.

Worried fans bombarded Internet forums with their concerns, fearing the 17-year-old star, who has often been compared with troubled singer Amy Winehouse, had been drinking.

But Cilmi is adamant she didn't touch alcohol at the event, blaming her inarticulate speeches and baffling post-event press interviews on tiredness from long-haul flights.

The London-based says, "I was actually jetlagged, I wasn't tipsy... I kept on winning, it was really weird, I didn't expect it, so I didn't know what to say."