THE X FACTOR: ONE YEAR ON

03 August, 2006 by The_Boss

ITV1 Saturday 12th August 2006 6:50pm to 7:55pm

In May 2005, 75,000 people turned up, at locations all around the country, to audition for the second series of The X Factor. It was the biggest talent search ever launched in the UK as judges, Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh scoured the UK for one act to win a £1 million recording contract.

But one year on, how has the competition changed the lives of the X Factor finalists, and what has happened to some of the more memorable characters of the competition?

On December 15th 2005, nearly 10 million viewers tuned in to see Shayne Ward be crowned the winner of the The X Factor and since that day Shayne’s life has completely transformed. “Life has been crazy and non stop since the final, it has been like living a dream I never thought I would realise”. With a number one selling debut single, a platinum selling album, a Brit Award nomination and an upcoming solo tour, the former shoe shop assistant from Manchester has come along way.

Runner-up act Andy Abraham has also seen his life completely turn around in the last year: “I just wanted to stop being a bin man and become a singer, I went along to the auditions to see what the judges thought of me and whether my dream would be a possibility, six months later I had a recording contract, it is just amazing”.

“As a person Andy’s life has changed the most out of anyone because he was an older man, he thought his destiny was set in stone for the rest of his life and I don’t think he ever thought he could ever have a top 10 selling album and a sell out tour. I have never met a man with such dignity and when he sang he melted my heart. I knew from day one that Andy would be a star”. comments Andy’s mentor and show judge Sharon Osbourne.

Disco Diva Brenda Edwards thought she would go back to her day job after being voted off at the semi-final stage of the competition, but within months she had been snapped up to appear on the west end. “I knew nothing about acting or theatre and now I am playing Mama Morton in Chicago, it is just fantastic, appearing on the X Factor opened up so many doors for me that just weren’t there before.”

But what about the acts whose exit from the competition was dogged with controversy? When Maria Lawson found herself in the bottom two against the Conway sisters, the whole nation was up in arms when Louis Walsh chose to save the girls over her, but six months on, and after being signed by Phonogenic, a subsidiary of BMG, Maria has just come back from LA where she has been writing and recording material for her forthcoming album. “I am so excited, I feel like I have been waiting a long long time for this moment, and it is finally here, perhaps I have something to thank Louis for!”

There was one auditionee that from day one stood out from the crowd, ex goat herder Chico.

“One year ago no one had heard of him, now he is so well known he is known by his first name!” joked Simon Cowell. And when Chico’s debut single knocked the Queen of pop Madonna off the number one slot, no one, including Simon, was surprised by his success.

As well as recently becoming a Dad, “She has changed my life completely, I am doing everything from changing nappies to getting up in the middle of the night to give her a hug, the only I don’t do is the breast feeding!”, Chico is also working on the launch of his latest single, a remake of the dance classic D.I.S.C.O.

But it is not just the 12 finalists who have seen their life transformed since appearing on the series, some of the more memorable characters have also gone on to have their own slice of stardom.

Human foghorn Robert King, whose unforgettable rendition of ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ wowed viewers so much that he has become a mini celebrity himself. “Since appearing on the series the biggest thing that has happened to me was going on The X Factor tour – it was superb, playing at venues like the MEN in Manchester, you can’t buy that, not even off ebay! And wherever I go people shout X Factor at me, I even got recognised at JFK airport.”

The show’s oldest contestant, 81 year old Dorothy Morrison has also experienced local fame, “I was asking a young man to help me get some peas down from the top shelf in the supermarket the other day, and he said, not before you sing us a song!” Being on the show was a great experience, it is always good to try something new, no matter what your age”.

And duo Spirit and Destiny, who were famed for having to be carried out the audition room by X Factor security guard Tony Adkins whilst shouting “Sing ‘em another song Della”, have seen tickets for their gigs at working men’s clubs rocket, due to their new found fame.

With comments and opinions for judges, Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, this one off documentary also catches up with: platinum album selling duo Journey South, who have recently come back from South Africa recording the video for their new single; The Conway Sisters, who have just announced the split up of the band as the girls explore solo careers both in and outside of music; The Addicitv Ladies, who are working hard towards their A-Levels; Nicholas Dorsett, Chenais, Phillip McGee and boy band 4Tune.

Turn over to ITV2 after the ITV1 show, for The Xtra Factor: One Year On (title again TBC). Ben Shephard delves even deeper with chats from the judges and finalists, and he catches up with a few more memorable first round auditionees. How has life changed for Sarah Lowe, the girl whose family went in to beg the judges to let her through? And what has the year had in store for Anthony Little, who disagreed so strongly with the judges comments that he had a stand up row outside the audition room with Simon Cowell!