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So where you the type of child who
wandered around constantly singing? Was
music your first love?
No, I wouldn’t say I was constantly singing.
Constantly playing football, yes, but not
singing. My dad was musical so we had a
piano in the house guitars, bongos, full-size
drum kit. So I used to annoy my dad with
my violin, which I couldn’t really play, but
I would attempt to. But I was interested
in playing football as well as playing
instruments and my singing voice didn’t
really appear until my early teens.
Had you sung professionally before X
Factor?
I had, yes. I was a Blue Coat when I was
younger and I worked on a cruise ship
briefly in 1999-2000. I’ve supported famous
people at Lakeside County Club at Frimley
Green as well. I did a performing arts course
at college, but I’ve never had a singing
lesson in my life. It’s all self-taught.
You actually took part in X Factor a few
years before you won and you didn’t get
that far into it. When was the moment
when you decided to have another try?
I was sat down with my kids and it was the
first time that we had all sat down together
and watched the X Factor. In the break,
there was an advert calling for people to
audition and I said ‘quick, pass me the ipad’.
I just applied while we were all sat there
watching it. I didn’t really sit and think
about it, I just did it. I then pretty much
forgot about it, but we were on holiday
in Florida in April last year and while we
were out there I checked my emails and I
had one saying I had got an audition, but
it was the day we flew back. So I thought
I couldn’t do it but I wrote back and
explained the situation anyway. The show
said that I could go to another venue on
another date, so I went the following week
to Cardiff and auditioned there. So that’s
where it all started. If I hadn’t been given
that opportunity to do it another time then
I wouldn’t have done it, I wouldn’t have
auditioned. I wouldn’t have won!
Your win marked quite a change in past
years because you were in the over 25
category. Do you think this is a sign the
pop industry is become less obsessed with
youth?
Simon said to me that he was really pleased
that somebody has won it in the ‘Over
25’ category because he said it will be
interesting how many ‘overs’ now apply. He
said that not many used to apply unless they
were a bit bonkers and thought they were
the next Ricky Martin. But there was not
a lot of people in the category because an
over hadn’t won it since 200 – people think
it’s not worth going for it. But I thought ‘sod
it, let’s just do it’, and I’m glad I did. I would
love to see another over into the live shows.
I’ve seen a lot of shows and noticed how the
overs are not always taken seriously. I was
lucky as people did take me seriously and it
would be nice to see everybody in the overs
category treated this way.
This summer sees you taking a trip to
Oxfordshire for the Cornbury Festival.
Living only a few counties away in
Leicestershire, have you visited the area
much?
I’m very excited about Cornbury. I’ve been
to Oxfordshire a few times. I normally go to
Bicester Village. I went a few times before
Xfactor and even though I’ve got more
money now, I still won’t pay full price for
designer brands. I’d still rather go there. I’d
also like to stay in Malmaison in Oxford
sometime as I used to be a prison officer. It
looks amazing and I’d love to stay in one of
the old cells. I think there is just such a lot
of history in Oxford and obviously you’ve
got the university too. The city centre is so
picturesque.
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