List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 4)
Encyclopedia
The fourth UK series
of The X Factor
was broadcast on ITV
between 18 August and 15 December 2007. The final 12 were declared on 7 October 2007.
Each of the four judges - Dannii Minogue
, Sharon Osbourne
, Louis Walsh
and Simon Cowell
- were allocated to one of four categories who they would mentor. The six contestants in each category performed at the judges house before the final three in each section were chosen to proceed to the live finals. The live shows began on 20 October 2007, with each of the contestants performing in front of a studio audience. Viewers voted for the act that they wanted to keep in the competition and, for the first six weeks, the two acts with the fewest votes were declared the bottom two. The judges had to decide which act they wanted to eliminate. In weeks 7 and 8, the act with lowest number of votes automatically left the competition. In the final, Same Difference
left the competition after performing three songs, before Rhydian Roberts
and Leon Jackson
(both mentored by Minogue) performed the winners' single, "When You Believe
". Jackson won the competition and earnt a £1 million recording contract.
. Contestants in this category are males aged 14 to 25. The six candidates were Luke Harris, Charlie Finn, Dominic Harris, Leon Jackson, Rhydian Roberts and Andy Williams. Minogue chose:
, Scotland
and was a retail
sales assistant at the time of his appearance on the show. He auditioned in Glasgow
having only started singing properly in August 2007. Jackson says that singing is the only thing that makes him happy. Before he made it through to the finals, Jackson had been planning to start an Architectural Technology course at Napier University
.
Jackson won The X Factor final on 15 December 2007 over runners-up Rhydian Roberts and Same Difference.
, Wales
who auditioned in Cardiff
. His voice type
is baritone
and he had vocal training for seven years prior to auditioning. He is a graduate of Birmingham City University
(formerly the University of Central England in Birmingham) and at school played trumpet and cornet. Roberts had appeared in singing competitions before — since the age of five he regularly competed in the annual Urdd Eisteddfod, and in 2007 won two first prizes.
Roberts played rugby for his school, attends the gym daily and worked as a personal trainer
. He was once the strongest bench press
er in Wales during his teens but gave up weight lifting
for a career in music. During his time on the show there was controversy over the way in which producer
s edit
ed footage to make him appear, what Roberts calls, a "pantomime villain
". He also received highly critical comments from judge, Sharon Osbourne
. As a Welsh
speaker Roberts has recorded messages and interviews for Radio Cymru, recording an audio diary for the station's Dylan a Meinir Show, and has also appeared on S4C
shows such as Wedi 7
. Although he was the bookmaker
's clear favourite to win, Roberts finished second in the competition.
. At the time, he ran an asbestos
removal company in his hometown of Newport
. He auditioned for series 1 of The X Factor at the age of nineteen but was turned down. He was eliminated in week four: 10 November.
. Contestants in this category are females aged 14 to 25. The six candidates were Alisha Bennett, Victoria Closs, Kimberley Howlett, Emily Nakanda, Kimberley Southwick and Stephanie Woods. Osbourne chose:
, London
where she auditioned. Before entering The X Factor, she was educated at Mill Hill School
and later worked as a receptionist at a fitness gym
. She was inspired to audition after watching Leona Lewis
win the show in 2006. Bennett was in the bottom two on 20 October and 27 October but was saved by the judges both times. She was next in the bottom two on 17 November and was subsequently eliminated ahead of Hope, becoming the last of Osbourne's acts to go.
, gaining the inspiration to follow her dream of becoming a singer from a personal health issue. Two weeks into the live shows, press reports emerged with video footage of Nakanda apparently attacking another teenage girl in a "happy slapping
" attack. On 2 November, ITV announced that Nakanda had withdrawn from The X Factor due to the media attention the videos had brought, after apparently being told by Cowell that she would be forced out if she did not leave of her own accord.
, Staffordshire
. At the time of her appearance she worked as a barmaid in her parents' pub. She auditioned in Birmingham
, singing "Show Me Heaven
" by Maria McKee
, which the judges preferred over her first song, "Redneck Woman
" by Gretchen Wilson
. She attended the Italia Conti Academy
but left after a year because she was not comfortable there. She has also performed on Michael Barrymore
's entertainment show, My Kind of People
. Southwick was the first to be eliminated on 20 October. Southwick had a small role in a season 6 episode of Shameless
, broadcast on 10 February 2009, and is now a member of G*Mania.
. Contestants in this category are of either sex, aged 26 or over. There is no upper age limit. The six candidates were Daniel Boulle, Daniel DeBourg, Niki Evans, Icaro Taborda, Beverley Trotman and Zyta Zebihi. Walsh chose:
, is a songwriter and singer who has written songs for Jamelia
and previously had a recording contract with Dreamworks
. He released an album, Tell the World, in the United States in 2002, as well as a single, "I Need an Angel
". He was influenced by the videos of Michael Jackson
and Janet Jackson
to pursue dance by the age of four, and by the age of eleven he had been admitted to study at the exclusive Royal Ballet School
. He has also worked with R. Kelly
. He was the second to be eliminated on 27 October.
, worked as a catering
manager
in a school. Auditioning in Birmingham
, she applied for The X Factor after finding the application form in her recently deceased father's belongings. She had been in bands since the age of 12 and at 16 was signed to PWL
but did not have chart success. She had also been on tour and sung backing vocals with Sonia who was signed to PWL at the time. Evans was eliminated in the semi-final on December 8. In September 2008 she released a single called "Love Me No More".
who in her spare time sang in choir
s, which she had done since the age of four. She auditioned in Birmingham
and is a member of the award-winning Kingdom Choir who have performed as backing vocalist
s on both The X Factor and Grease Is the Word
. Trotman currently lives in Luton
with her husband and two children. She was in the bottom two on 10 November but was saved by the judges. She was again in the bottom two on 24 November, being eliminated by public vote as the judges' votes were tied, creating the only deadlock of the series. It was stated on Xtra Factor: One Year On that Trotman had signed a record contract, and that her debut album would be released in 2009. She will play Ms Sherman in the UK tour of the musical Fame
in 2009.
. Acts in this category are duos or vocal groups. All members must be aged 14 or over. The six candidates were Futureproof, Ghostt, Hope, I Sette Cantanti, Same Difference and W4. Cowell chose:
decided to give them a lifeline and invited them to form a group. The group made it past bootcamp to the judges' homes round where they were told by mentor, Simon Cowell, that they were in the final twelve. Futureproof were voted off on the third live show on 3 November.
consisting of Charlie Mole (aged 23 at the time of the show), Emily Biggs
(17), Raquelle Gracie (20), Leah Lauder (20) and Phoebe Brown
(16), who, like Futureproof, auditioned originally as soloists but did not make it past bootcamp. However, judge Louis Walsh suggested that they re-audition as a six-piece, with the group originally containing a sixth member, Sisi Jghalef. After reaching the judges' homes stage and being told that they had made it through to the final twelve, it emerged that Jghalef had an outstanding criminal conviction. This went against the rules of the competition and the show's producers asked her to leave the group. On 3 November, 17 November and 24 November they were in the bottom two but were saved by the judges on the first two occasions, and by the public vote on the other (due to the judges' votes reaching deadlock). Hope were eliminated on 1 December by public vote.
Since leaving the show Hope have performed at various events around the UK including The Birmingham
Clothes Show and have booked their first international date in Dubai
. They have announced three tracks from their forthcoming debut album: "Hot", "This Is It" and "I Apologize", which features Pharrell Williams
.
At some point between October and November 2008, Leah Lauder was removed from the Hope website and all traces of her existence in the band were deleted. There was no official announcement from the group about her disappearance; however, it has been rumoured that she left to become a solo artist, and she wished the band luck and is still in contact with some of them.
It was revealed on MTV UK Television's The Celebrity Agency that Hope went through a temporary split. This suggests that the band probably reformed without Leah Lauder, explaining her sudden disappearance from their website.
As of 28 April 2009 the band's official website was taken down and it is presumed that Hope is on hiatus.
Phoebe susbequently joined the group Girls Can't Catch
, signed to Fascination Records
, the same label as Girls Aloud
and The Saturdays
. However, the group disbanded after its two singles, "Keep Your Head Up" and "Echo
" failed to meet expectations.
Emily joined the group Parade
. Their debut single Louder hit the top 10, but the follow-up, "Perfume", stalled at #38. Parade's debut album is due for release in October 2011.
Raquelle now hosts the news/gossip web-series "Daily Dips" on Dipdive
.
s Sean and Sarah Smith. At the time of the show, Sean (born 24 September 1985) was an entertainer in his home town of Portsmouth
while Sarah (born 4 November 1988) was a student. Sean left home at the age of 17 to perform on cruise ships and has appeared in a number of pantomime
s. Together, they performed at a local retirement home
.
Sarah left home at 16 to attend the Italia Conti Academy
and has recently finished her diploma
. Sarah has also worked as a model
and acted in the show Genie in the House
but claims that singing has always been her big passion. In her VT
during the third live show she revealed that she was bullied at school for being overly interested in singing, and that in her head she pictured her tormentors telling her she wasn't good enough. A friend, Harriet Templer, said that she had been witness to the bullying and that these girls were yelling abuse and even attacked her. Same Difference were the series' most successful act in the group category. They came third
The X Factor (UK series 4)
The fourth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in autumn 2007. The first show aired on 18 August 2007 and the series was won by Leon Jackson on 15 December 2007, with Rhydian Roberts the runner-up and Dannii Minogue emerging as the winning mentor...
of The X Factor
The X Factor (UK)
The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
was broadcast on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
between 18 August and 15 December 2007. The final 12 were declared on 7 October 2007.
Each of the four judges - Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
, Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
, Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
and Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
- were allocated to one of four categories who they would mentor. The six contestants in each category performed at the judges house before the final three in each section were chosen to proceed to the live finals. The live shows began on 20 October 2007, with each of the contestants performing in front of a studio audience. Viewers voted for the act that they wanted to keep in the competition and, for the first six weeks, the two acts with the fewest votes were declared the bottom two. The judges had to decide which act they wanted to eliminate. In weeks 7 and 8, the act with lowest number of votes automatically left the competition. In the final, Same Difference
Same Difference
Same Difference can refer to:* Same Difference, a British singing duo* Same Difference , an album by Swedish death metal band Entombed* Same Difference , a show which aired on Channel 4...
left the competition after performing three songs, before Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian James Roberts , popularly known as Rhydian, is a classically trained Welsh baritone and crossover artist. He rose to fame on The X Factor in 2007...
and Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson is a Scottish singer-songwriter. He won the fourth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2007. Following his win, Jackson was the main star of his on-web series entitled Leon's Life, which ran from 2007 until 2008...
(both mentored by Minogue) performed the winners' single, "When You Believe
When You Believe
"When You Believe" is an Academy Award-winning song by American recording artists Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The song was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz for the 1998 DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. A version of "When You Believe" was produced as a single with...
". Jackson won the competition and earnt a £1 million recording contract.
Boys
The Boys category was mentored by Dannii MinogueDannii Minogue
Danielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
. Contestants in this category are males aged 14 to 25. The six candidates were Luke Harris, Charlie Finn, Dominic Harris, Leon Jackson, Rhydian Roberts and Andy Williams. Minogue chose:
Leon Jackson
Leon Jackson (born 30 December 1988, aged 18 at the time of the show) is from Whitburn, West LothianWest Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and was a retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
sales assistant at the time of his appearance on the show. He auditioned in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
having only started singing properly in August 2007. Jackson says that singing is the only thing that makes him happy. Before he made it through to the finals, Jackson had been planning to start an Architectural Technology course at Napier University
Napier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
.
Jackson won The X Factor final on 15 December 2007 over runners-up Rhydian Roberts and Same Difference.
Rhydian Roberts
Rhydian Roberts (born 14 February 1983, aged 24 at the time of the show) is a classically trained singer from PowysPowys
Powys is a local-government county and preserved county in Wales.-Geography:Powys covers the historic counties of Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire, most of Brecknockshire , and a small part of Denbighshire — an area of 5,179 km², making it the largest county in Wales by land area.It is...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
who auditioned in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. His voice type
Voice type
A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...
is baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
and he had vocal training for seven years prior to auditioning. He is a graduate of Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University is a British university in the city of Birmingham, England. It is the second largest of three universities in the city, the other two being the Aston University and University of Birmingham...
(formerly the University of Central England in Birmingham) and at school played trumpet and cornet. Roberts had appeared in singing competitions before — since the age of five he regularly competed in the annual Urdd Eisteddfod, and in 2007 won two first prizes.
Roberts played rugby for his school, attends the gym daily and worked as a personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
. He was once the strongest bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
er in Wales during his teens but gave up weight lifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
for a career in music. During his time on the show there was controversy over the way in which producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
s edit
Film editing
Film editing is part of the creative post-production process of filmmaking. It involves the selection and combining of shots into sequences, and ultimately creating a finished motion picture. It is an art of storytelling...
ed footage to make him appear, what Roberts calls, a "pantomime villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
". He also received highly critical comments from judge, Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
. As a Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speaker Roberts has recorded messages and interviews for Radio Cymru, recording an audio diary for the station's Dylan a Meinir Show, and has also appeared on S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
shows such as Wedi 7
Wedi 7
Wedi 7 is S4C's nightly magazine programme. Produced by Tinopolis, it is the half-hour sister programme to a full-hour Wedi 3 .-Show contents:...
. Although he was the bookmaker
Bookmaker
A bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
's clear favourite to win, Roberts finished second in the competition.
Andy Williams
Andy Williams (born 8 October 1984, aged 23 at the time of the show) auditioned in CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. At the time, he ran an asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
removal company in his hometown of Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
. He auditioned for series 1 of The X Factor at the age of nineteen but was turned down. He was eliminated in week four: 10 November.
Girls
The Girls category was mentored by Sharon OsbourneSharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
. Contestants in this category are females aged 14 to 25. The six candidates were Alisha Bennett, Victoria Closs, Kimberley Howlett, Emily Nakanda, Kimberley Southwick and Stephanie Woods. Osbourne chose:
Alisha Bennett
Alisha Bennett (born 31 December 1984, aged 23 at the time of the show) is the oldest of the X factor girls. She is from WembleyWembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
where she auditioned. Before entering The X Factor, she was educated at Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School
Mill Hill School, in Mill Hill, London, is a coeducational independent school for boarding and day pupils aged 13–18. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, an organisation of public schools in the United Kingdom....
and later worked as a receptionist at a fitness gym
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
. She was inspired to audition after watching Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
win the show in 2006. Bennett was in the bottom two on 20 October and 27 October but was saved by the judges both times. She was next in the bottom two on 17 November and was subsequently eliminated ahead of Hope, becoming the last of Osbourne's acts to go.
Emily Nakanda
Emily Nakanda (born 21 August 1992, aged 15 at the time of the show) was the youngest of the series 4 finalists. She was educated in The Compton School Technology College. She auditioned in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, gaining the inspiration to follow her dream of becoming a singer from a personal health issue. Two weeks into the live shows, press reports emerged with video footage of Nakanda apparently attacking another teenage girl in a "happy slapping
Happy slapping
Happy slapping was a fad in the UK, in which someone assaulted an unwitting victim while others recorded the assault...
" attack. On 2 November, ITV announced that Nakanda had withdrawn from The X Factor due to the media attention the videos had brought, after apparently being told by Cowell that she would be forced out if she did not leave of her own accord.
Kimberley Southwick
Kimberley Southwick (born 21 January 1988, aged 19 at the time of the show) is from TamworthTamworth
Tamworth is a town and local government district in Staffordshire, England, located north-east of Birmingham city centre and north-west of London. The town takes its name from the River Tame, which flows through the town, as does the River Anker...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
. At the time of her appearance she worked as a barmaid in her parents' pub. She auditioned in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, singing "Show Me Heaven
Show Me Heaven
Australian singer Tina Arena released her version of the song as the fifth single for her 1994 album Don't Ask.-Chart performance:-Other cover versions:...
" by Maria McKee
Maria McKee
Maria Luisa McKee is an American singer and songwriter. She is best known for her work with Lone Justice and her 1990 UK solo chart-topping hit, "Show Me Heaven".-Music:...
, which the judges preferred over her first song, "Redneck Woman
Redneck Woman
"Redneck Woman" is the debut single of American country music artist Gretchen Wilson. Released in 2004, the single served as the lead-off to her multi-platinum debut album Here for the Party. The song was also Wilson's only number one single on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks...
" by Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Wilson
Gretchen Frances Wilson is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2004 with the Grammy Award-winning single "Redneck Woman," a number-one hit on the Billboard country charts. The song served as the lead-off single of her debut album, Here for the Party...
. She attended the Italia Conti Academy
Italia Conti Academy
The Italia Conti Academy is a theatre arts training school based in London. It was founded in 1911 by actress Italia Conti...
but left after a year because she was not comfortable there. She has also performed on Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore
Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say...
's entertainment show, My Kind of People
My Kind of People
My Kind of People is an ITV television show presented by British entertainer Michael Barrymore broadcast in 1995. Barrymore travelled around the country in his customised sports car visiting shopping centres, amateurs performed on a stage for the programme unrehearsed.Some acts were simply shown...
. Southwick was the first to be eliminated on 20 October. Southwick had a small role in a season 6 episode of Shameless
Shameless
Shameless is a British television drama series set in Manchester on the fictional Chatsworth council estate. Produced by Company Pictures for Channel 4, the first seven-episode series aired weekly on Tuesday nights at 10pm from 13 January 2004...
, broadcast on 10 February 2009, and is now a member of G*Mania.
Over-25s
The Over-25s category was mentored by Louis WalshLouis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
. Contestants in this category are of either sex, aged 26 or over. There is no upper age limit. The six candidates were Daniel Boulle, Daniel DeBourg, Niki Evans, Icaro Taborda, Beverley Trotman and Zyta Zebihi. Walsh chose:
Daniel DeBourg
Daniel DeBourg (born 13 April 1976, aged 31 at the time of the show), from ChelmsfordChelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
, is a songwriter and singer who has written songs for Jamelia
Jamelia
Jamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
and previously had a recording contract with Dreamworks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
. He released an album, Tell the World, in the United States in 2002, as well as a single, "I Need an Angel
I Need an Angel
"I Need An Angel" is the title of a song by singer Daniel DeBourg released on his Tell the World album in 2002, that made #30 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The song was produced by Derek S. Clark of Tacoma, Washington and written by R. Kelly.A version performed by R...
". He was influenced by the videos of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
to pursue dance by the age of four, and by the age of eleven he had been admitted to study at the exclusive Royal Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
. He has also worked with R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
. He was the second to be eliminated on 27 October.
Niki Evans
Niki Evans (born 13 December 1972, aged 34 at the time of the show), from PolesworthPolesworth
Polesworth is a large village and civil parish in the North Warwickshire district of Warwickshire, England. In the 2001 census it had a population of 8,439, inclusive of the continuous sub-villages of St Helena, Dordon and Hall End directly to the south...
, worked as a catering
Catering
Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
manager
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
in a school. Auditioning in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, she applied for The X Factor after finding the application form in her recently deceased father's belongings. She had been in bands since the age of 12 and at 16 was signed to PWL
PWL
Pete Waterman Entertainment is the production company one-time pop and dance record label owned by pop mogul Pete Waterman. The label, originally PWL, is most famous for being the home of hit record producers Stock Aitken Waterman....
but did not have chart success. She had also been on tour and sung backing vocals with Sonia who was signed to PWL at the time. Evans was eliminated in the semi-final on December 8. In September 2008 she released a single called "Love Me No More".
Beverley Trotman
Beverley Trotman (born 22 August 1969, aged 38 at the time of the show) was a primary school teacherTeacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
who in her spare time sang in choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s, which she had done since the age of four. She auditioned in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and is a member of the award-winning Kingdom Choir who have performed as backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s on both The X Factor and Grease Is the Word
Grease Is the Word
Grease Is the Word was the UK version of NBCs Grease: You're the One that I Want!. It aired during Spring/Summer 2007, and was produced by Syco TV ....
. Trotman currently lives in Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
with her husband and two children. She was in the bottom two on 10 November but was saved by the judges. She was again in the bottom two on 24 November, being eliminated by public vote as the judges' votes were tied, creating the only deadlock of the series. It was stated on Xtra Factor: One Year On that Trotman had signed a record contract, and that her debut album would be released in 2009. She will play Ms Sherman in the UK tour of the musical Fame
Fame (musical)
A stage musical based on the 1980 musical film Fame has been staged under two titles. The first, 'Fame – The Musical' conceived and developed by David De Silva, is a musical with a book by Jose Fernandez, music by Steve Margoshes and lyrics by Jacques Levy. The musical premiered in 1988 in Miami,...
in 2009.
Groups
The Groups category was mentored by Simon CowellSimon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur, and television personality. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol...
. Acts in this category are duos or vocal groups. All members must be aged 14 or over. The six candidates were Futureproof, Ghostt, Hope, I Sette Cantanti, Same Difference and W4. Cowell chose:
Futureproof
Futureproof are a male vocal group consisting of Aaron Delahunty (aged 19 at the time of the show), Adam Chandler (21), Matthew Protheroe (17), Richard Wilkinson (23) and Sean Rumsey (20). They were formed from male singers who initially auditioned as soloists but did not make it past the bootcamp stage. However, believing that talent was lost, judge Louis WalshLouis Walsh
Louis Walsh is an Irish music manager and judge on the British television talent show The X Factor.-Band manager:...
decided to give them a lifeline and invited them to form a group. The group made it past bootcamp to the judges' homes round where they were told by mentor, Simon Cowell, that they were in the final twelve. Futureproof were voted off on the third live show on 3 November.
Hope
Hope are a five-piece (originally six) girl groupGirl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
consisting of Charlie Mole (aged 23 at the time of the show), Emily Biggs
Emily Biggs
Emily Louise Biggs is an English singer and member of girl group Parade. She entered the The X Factor in 2007 as a solo artist and got to boot camp. She was previously a member in the band Hope, which were formed on the X Factor...
(17), Raquelle Gracie (20), Leah Lauder (20) and Phoebe Brown
Phoebe Brown
Phoebe Jo Brown is an English singer.-Life and career:Brown, who is of Italian and Filipino descent, grew up in Guildford, Surrey with her parents and brother before moving to Weybridge, Surrey, at the age of eleven. Prior to this, at the age of seven she starred in various adverts and featured on...
(16), who, like Futureproof, auditioned originally as soloists but did not make it past bootcamp. However, judge Louis Walsh suggested that they re-audition as a six-piece, with the group originally containing a sixth member, Sisi Jghalef. After reaching the judges' homes stage and being told that they had made it through to the final twelve, it emerged that Jghalef had an outstanding criminal conviction. This went against the rules of the competition and the show's producers asked her to leave the group. On 3 November, 17 November and 24 November they were in the bottom two but were saved by the judges on the first two occasions, and by the public vote on the other (due to the judges' votes reaching deadlock). Hope were eliminated on 1 December by public vote.
Since leaving the show Hope have performed at various events around the UK including The Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Clothes Show and have booked their first international date in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
. They have announced three tracks from their forthcoming debut album: "Hot", "This Is It" and "I Apologize", which features Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams , commonly known simply as Pharrell, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, composer, and fashion designer. Williams and Chad Hugo make up the record production duo The Neptunes, producing hip hop and R&B music...
.
At some point between October and November 2008, Leah Lauder was removed from the Hope website and all traces of her existence in the band were deleted. There was no official announcement from the group about her disappearance; however, it has been rumoured that she left to become a solo artist, and she wished the band luck and is still in contact with some of them.
It was revealed on MTV UK Television's The Celebrity Agency that Hope went through a temporary split. This suggests that the band probably reformed without Leah Lauder, explaining her sudden disappearance from their website.
As of 28 April 2009 the band's official website was taken down and it is presumed that Hope is on hiatus.
Phoebe susbequently joined the group Girls Can't Catch
Girls Can't Catch
Girls Can't Catch were a British girl group. Their debut single "Keep Your Head Up" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 26. Their second single "Echo" was released on 18 January 2010, debuting at number 19 on the UK Top 40 singles chart. The band was dropped by their record company, Polydor...
, signed to Fascination Records
Fascination Records
Fascination Records is a UK-based record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as an imprint of Polydor Records. The label was launched in spring 2006, and is managed by former TOTP Magazine editor Peter Loraine...
, the same label as Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
and The Saturdays
The Saturdays
The Saturdays are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London, United Kingdom. The group consists of five members Una Healy, Mollie King, Frankie Sandford, Vanessa White and Rochelle Wiseman. In 2007 the band were formed through Fascination Records which gave them an instant record deal with...
. However, the group disbanded after its two singles, "Keep Your Head Up" and "Echo
Echo (Girls Can't Catch song)
"Echo" is the second and final single by British girl group Girls Can't Catch. It was released on January 18, 2010.- Music video :The music video was shot the week beginning November 9, 2009. Fans were allowed to post video ideas for the music video. Whoever won was allowed to visit the girls on...
" failed to meet expectations.
Emily joined the group Parade
Parade (band)
Parade are a British five piece girl group, who are currently signed to Asylum Records. The band has five members: Emily Biggs, Lauren Deegan, Bianca Claxton, Jessica Agombar and Sian Charlesworth. They are currently working on their debut album. Before Parade, Biggs was a member in the girl group...
. Their debut single Louder hit the top 10, but the follow-up, "Perfume", stalled at #38. Parade's debut album is due for release in October 2011.
Raquelle now hosts the news/gossip web-series "Daily Dips" on Dipdive
Dipdive
Dipdive is a social networking website tagged as "a Lifestyle Engine for Music, Arts, Action & More." It is best known for the original source site of the "Yes We Can" music video. The site allows users to upload images, videos, MP3s, Blogs and create playlists. Videos and MP3s are allowed in the...
.
Same Difference
Same Difference are made up of siblingSibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
s Sean and Sarah Smith. At the time of the show, Sean (born 24 September 1985) was an entertainer in his home town of Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
while Sarah (born 4 November 1988) was a student. Sean left home at the age of 17 to perform on cruise ships and has appeared in a number of pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
s. Together, they performed at a local retirement home
Retirement home
A retirement home is a multi-residence housing facility intended for senior citizens. Typically each person or couple in the home has an apartment-style room or suite of rooms. Additional facilities are provided within the building, including facilities for meals, gathering, recreation, and some...
.
Sarah left home at 16 to attend the Italia Conti Academy
Italia Conti Academy
The Italia Conti Academy is a theatre arts training school based in London. It was founded in 1911 by actress Italia Conti...
and has recently finished her diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
. Sarah has also worked as a model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
and acted in the show Genie in the House
Genie In The House
Genie in the House is a British situation comedy broadcast on Nickelodeon about a widowed father with two teenage daughters who find a dusty old golden lamp while exploring the loft of their new home. A quick rub of the lamp releases Adil, a trainee genie from Balamkadaar who has been confined to...
but claims that singing has always been her big passion. In her VT
Videotape
A videotape is a recording of images and sounds on to magnetic tape as opposed to film stock or random access digital media. Videotapes are also used for storing scientific or medical data, such as the data produced by an electrocardiogram...
during the third live show she revealed that she was bullied at school for being overly interested in singing, and that in her head she pictured her tormentors telling her she wasn't good enough. A friend, Harriet Templer, said that she had been witness to the bullying and that these girls were yelling abuse and even attacked her. Same Difference were the series' most successful act in the group category. They came third
See also
- List of The X Factor (UK) finalists
- List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 1)
- List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 2)
- List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 3)
- List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 5)
- List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 6)
- List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 7)
- List of The X Factor finalists (UK series 8)