The X Factor contestants: Where are they now?

The X Factor is back for it's 10th series! See what's happened to some of our favourite faces from the show...

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

The X Factor is back for it's 10th series! See what's happened to some of our favourite faces from the show...

What year? He came 8th in the 8th series, 2011

Best Moment? When he showed off his amazing vocal range after singing Etta James' At Last in his first audition. From that moment, his high-pitched voice, cheery personality and incredible outfits made made him one of our favourites of the series.

Where are they now? Johnny is still singing and performing, but to say he looks a little different would be an understatement! The tracksuit and baseball cap from his original audition have since been replaced by something a little more glamorous. Starring in his new music video for the his song 'Eaten Alive', Johnny has revealed his drag queen alter ego Sarah Lee. Complete with a heavy make-up and a long grey wig, we think he looks amazing!

You can watch his new music video here

Image credit: Youtube/ gothamrecords/ Gotham Records

Lloyd Daniels

What year? Came 5th in the 6th series, 2009

Best moment? After impressing Cheryl and making it to the live shows, 16-year-old Lloyd became a fan favourite for the 5th series. Although facing some tough criticism from the judges, Lloyd made it all the way to the semi-finals. His back flip live on stage while singing Fly Me To The Moon was truly impressive!

Where are they now? After the series ended, Lloyd spent a year touring with The X Factor. Now aged 23, he's moved into musical theatre and starred in a number of shows and pantomimes, including over 500 performances of Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat. Sounds like he's been pretty busy!

Tom Bleasley

Tom Bleasley

What year? 2015

Best moment? After a very tense six chair challenge, Tom made it on to one of the seats and secured a place at Nick Grimshaw?s house to sing for him. However he soon quit claiming ?personal problems? on his Twitter account. He also later declared to ITV that he didn't feel vocally ready.

Where are they now? He is now signed to an independent label via Sony and has been on tour with the likes of Jason Derulo. He has also released his debut single ?Half of me?. Fans on Twitter were quick to point out his resemblance to singer Sam Smith - we can see it! 

Ray Quinn

Ray Quinn

(Image credit: Rex)

What year? Runner-up in the 3rd series, 2006.

Best moment? His debut album Doing It My Way reaching number 1 in the album charts.

Where are they now? Well, hasn't Ray changed a lot since his fresh-faced days on The X Factor?! Ray was known for his old-school swing music, and after his X Factor appearance he released a debut swing album, Doing It My Way, with Simon Cowell's record label. In 2009 he skated to glory to win Dancing On Ice alongside professional skater, Maria Filippov.

Since then he's carved out a career in the theatre starring in Legally Blonde and The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice. Does anyone remember him starring as Anthony in Brookside as a child too? Super cute!

Aiden Grimshaw

Aiden Grimshaw

(Image credit: Rex/Aiden Grimshaw Twitter)

What year? Came 9th in the 7th series, 2010

Best moment? Singing a moody version of Mad World during the live shows

Where are they now? After remaining quiet for a few years, Aiden has been busy recording new music, posting pictures to his Twitter of album covers and of himself spending time in the studio. He shared this pic with fellow X Factor star Matt Cardle!

His new rugged look is a far cry from his fresh-faced features when he appeared on the show. A member of his team confirmed last year that he and former X Factor pal Zayn Malik were in talks to release music together, so watch this space!

Rhydian Roberts

Rhydian Roberts

What year? 2007

Best moment? When he sang his baritone version of Phantom of the Opera, complete with his slightly unsettling stare!

Where are they now? Rhydian has had quite the colourful career since leaving the comfort of the X Factor house. The Welsh singer has been a patron for The Prince?s Trust, has posed naked in Cosmo and has toured with all sorts of acts from We Will Rock You to Grease. He currently has a No. 1 Classical album, too! What a busy boy?

Janet Devlin

Janet Devlin

What year? 2011

Best moment? Janet left all the judges in tears after her emotional rendition of Elton John's Your Song back in her first audition. During the course of the show Courtney Love tweeted Simon Cowell to offer Janet a Nirvana song to perform, as Courtney has claimed Janet and her family are distant relatives of the late Kurt Cobain - although Janet denies there is a connection. Instead she opted to sing Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars for her final performance.

Where are they now? After finishing in fifth place, Janet moved back to her family farm in Northern Ireland but has not stopped producing music in the studio and has recorded two albums since leaving the show - Hide & Seek and Running With Scissors.

Craig Colton

Craig Colton

What year? 2011

Best moment? Former biscuit factory worker Craig got to the final in the 2011 series of The X Factor, aged just 22, as one of Gary Barlow's solo boys group. But it wasn't to be, and Craig was beaten to first place by Little Mix

Where are they now? According to his Twitter page, Craig is still making music and pursuing his dream to be a singer - he is currently on a UK tour and making plans to travel to Los Angeles to continue his work. Craig has even got celebrity followers such as fellow X Factor star Harry Styles from One Direction.

Eoghan Quigg

Eoghan Quigg

What year? 2008

Best moment? Eoghan got to the final three in the 2008 series of The X Factor, when he was just 16, and was signed to record label RCA after leaving the show.

Where are they now? In 2014 Eoghan competed to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song contest but has since ditched his musical career in favour of being a footballer!

Rachel Adedeji

Rachel Adedeji

What year? 2009

Best moment? As a finalist on The X Factor Rachael performed to Whitney Houston, Michael Bublé and Robbie Williams - all of whom loved her soulful voice!

Where are they now? Rachael is now an actress, as well as a singer. She has just started starring in Hollyoaks as Lisa Loveday!

James Arthur

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

What year? Won series 9 in 2012

Best moment? Triumphing over front runner Jahmene Douglas in the final

Where are they now? James reached the top of the charts with his winners' single, and has just released his debut single, 'You're nobody until sombody loves you.' Unfortunately for James, he was just pipped to the no.1 spot - our friends at WOTV have all the details.

Rylan Clark

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

What year? Came 5th in the 9th series in 2012

Best moment? Rylan wowed the crowds with his rendition of 'Gangnam Style'

Where are they now? Rylan won the 2013 series of Celebrity Big Brother and found himself taken to the heart of the nation! He has since had slots presenting on ITV.

Little Mix

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Won the 8th series, 2011.

Best moment? Becoming the first ever group to win the X Factor.

Where are they now? Where aren't they?! The girls have had a handful of top 10 hits, including two number ones with their singles 'Wings' and debut single 'Cannonball.' Perrie has bagged herself a boyband fiance in the form of One Direction's Zayn Malik, and the girls even have their own range of false nails and Little Mix dolls. The sky is the limit for the only group to ever win The X Factor!

Leon Jackson

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Won the 4th series, 2007.

Best moment? Leon's debut single When You Believe was a best selling single from a British Male Artist in 2007 beating Take That and Mark Ronson.

Where are they now? Leon's first album Right Now went to number 4 in the charts but after disappointing sales, he was dropped from his record label. He has since been writing new material and wrote a song for The Voice UK's contestant Vince Kidd.

Cher Lloyd

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Finished 4th in the 7th series, 2010.

Best moment? Cher's debut single Swagger Jagger rocketed to the top of the charts on release.

Where are they now? After the success of her debut album and tour, Cher released her 3rd single, Want U Back in America. Cher married boyfriend Craig in 2013, and joined Taylor Swift on stage for a duet - she's a busy girl!

Cher Lloyd is pregnant with her and husband Craig Monk's second child.

Chico

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Reached the quarter-finals of the 2005 series.

Best moment? Scoring a number 1 hit in the British charts with original song It's Chico Time.

Where are they now? After skating his way through Dancing on Ice in 2012, the former X Factor star makes a living touring the UK and playing at holiday camps. We'd love to see a bit of Chico time live!

Steve Brookstein

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Won the 1st series, 2004.

Best moment? His first single, a cover of Against All Odds, entered the UK Single Chart at number 2 and shot up to number 1 for a week.

Where are they now? After the disappointing performance of debut album Heart and Soul, Steve was dropped by his record label only 8 months after the show. Steve went to on try and release music independently but to little success. Now the biggest critic of The X Factor, Steve's working alongside his wife, Eileen Hunter to produce a jazz album.

Marcus Collins

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Runner-up of the 8th series, 2011.

Best moment? His debut album, Marcus Collins, was produced by the same team that produced Whitney Huston's records.

Where are they now? Marcus signed a record deal with RCA Records and is still managed by Gary Barlow. He's in the midst of recording a new album and has released debut single Seven Nation Army.

Leona Lewis

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Won the 3rd series, 2006.

Best moment? Leona's most successful single Bleeding Love reached number 1 in over 30 countries around the world and was the best-selling single worldwide in 2008.

Where are they now? Leona has sold over 20 million records worldwide and is one of the most successful X Factor contestants ever. We remember when she was a shy contestant on the show - my, how she's grown!

Jedward

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Finished 6th in the 6th series, 2009.

Best moment? Planet Jedward and Victory are two of Jedwards albums that went double platinum in Ireland. They also represented Ireland twice in the Eurovision in 2011 and 2012.

Where are they now? Apparently Jedward is now worth £4.5 million and is one of the most popular duos to have come from the X Factor. They most recently participated in Celebrity Big Brother 8 and are currently keeping themselves busy with numerous talk shows and charity events. We never saw that coming!

Alexandra Burke

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

What year? Won the 5th series, 2008.

Best moment? Her winner's single Hallelujah broke records, selling 105,000 copies in just one day.

Where are they now? Alexandra's debut album Overcome went to number 1 in the charts and subsequent singles performed well. She released her second album Heartbreak on Hold in June 2012 and became the first and only X Factor contestant to sit in the judges' chair when she filled in for Kelly Rowland in 2011. How weird must that have been?

Joe McElderry

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Won the 6th series, 2009

Best moment? Despite his debut single The Climb losing to Rage Against The Machine in the race to the Christmas number 1 slot, it still sold well and was nominated for a Brit Award for Best Single.

Where are they now? The curse of the male winners struck yet again when Joe was dropped by his record label following poor sales of his album. Joe went on to win reality show Popstar to Opera Star and released an album of classical music which went gold - good for you, Joe!Such a nice boy.

Matt Cardle

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Won the 7th series, 2010

Best moment? After receiving the most votes on the show every week bar one, Matt's debut single When We Collide nabbed the Christmas number 1 slot.

Where are they now? Matt's album Letters and subsequent singles failed to set the charts alight and in early 2012 he announced that he had parted ways with his record company. We feel sorry for the male winners - it never seems to go their way!

One Direction

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Came 3rd in seventh series, 2010.

Best moment? Their debut single What Makes You Beautiful won a Brit Award and made it to number 4 in the US Billboard charts.

Where are they now? Despite only coming 3rd, the boyband is definitley one of the most successful X Factor acts ever. Finding fame in America and all over the world, there's barely a magazine or newspaper without their pictures or news of their latest romantic exploits. Well done, boys!

Shayne Ward

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Winner of the 2nd series in 2005.

Best moment? His debut single That's My Goal became the third biggest-selling single of all time! (It has since been knocked off this spot, but still...)

Where are they now? His first album went platinum after selling more than 2 million copies worldwide. He was dropped after his 2nd and 3rd albums failed to live up to that success. Shayne has since found a new home in the theatre, starring in Rock Of Ages.

Rebecca Ferguson

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Runner-up in the 7th series, 2010

Best moment? Performing a duet of Beautiful with Christina Aguilera in the X Factor final.

Where are they now? The shy mum from Liverpool is making serious waves in the music industry. Her debut album Heaven, which she co-wrote, has been met with critical acclaim and her single Nothing's Real But Love entered the top 10.

Olly Murs

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: REX)

What year? Runner-up in the 6th series, 2009

Best moment? Beating Katy Perry to the UK number 1 spot with debut single Please Don't Let Me Go.

Where are they now? The cheeky chappy has carved out an impressive music career since leaving the show with his second album In Case You Didn't Know reaching number 1 in the album charts. Olly was welcomed back into the X Factor family as a presenter on The Xtra Factor on ITV2, but will not be returning to present the series in 2013.

Stacey Solomon

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: rex)

What year? Came 3rd in the 6th series, 2009

Best moment? Being named Queen of the Jungle after winning reality show I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

Where are they now? Despite being quite quiet on the music front, Stacey hasn't been far from our screens since winning the show. Her easy laid-back charms have seen her land numerous presenting roles and the coveted Iceland advert gig.

Diana Vickers

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

(Image credit: rex)

What year? Came 4th in the 5th series, 2008.

Best moment? Her debut single Once and album Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree both reaching number 1 in the UK charts.

Where are they now? Receiving critical praise for her music, Diana has also created a clothing range with very.co.uk. Despite parting ways with her record company, she is currently working on her 2nd album.

Union J

The X Factor contestants: where are they now?

What year? Came 4th in the 9th series, 2012

Best moment? When super-cute George Shelley joined JJ, Jaymi and Josh, previously known as Triple J, to form Union J as we know them now!

Where are they now? Their extremely catchy debut single 'Carry You' reached number six in the charts in June 2013, and the group are set to embark on an 18 date UK tour in December 2013.

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