X-Factor fans were treated to a mixed bag of auditions this week, with hopefuls showing the good and bad that the talent show has to offer.One of the highlights of this weekend’s double bill was reformed schoolboy Bradley Johnson, who wowed the judges with his rendition of Ed Sheeran’s A Team.
The 16-year-old declared that he had been expelled from a number of secondary schools but had worked hard to turn his life around and is now looking to do something positive with his time.
Doubt was etched onto the faces of all four judges but their frowns soon turned to smiles when the youngster began to sing.
Tulisa Contostavlos was first to comment and told the teenager: “Oh Hun! I loved that song and now I love it even more.”
Kelly Rowland was also blown away, adding: “I look at you and I see so much passion. I could listen to that voice on an album from top to bottom.”
Gary Barlow echoed these sentiments and described the contestant’s voice as “unique, distinctive, and full of personality”.
However, the judges’ positivity was soon dashed when the audience saw a familiar face edge onto the stage.
Ceri Rees, a 54-year-old failure from the 2005, 2006 and 2008 series of the show, was back to have yet another attempt.
Thinking that she stood a better chance now that Simon Cowell is no longer on the panel, the Welsh woman warbled her way through a shaky rendition of I Dreamed A Dream.
And as if more evidence was needed, the wannabe then attempted a blast at Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You.
Needless to say, none of the judges were impressed and Ms Rees was sent packing for a fourth time and left contemplating whether or not she will return next year.
Meanwhile, Saturday’s show saw Tulisa’s tears of frustration turn to tears of admiration for 31-year-old contestant Michelle Barrett.
The mother of four delivered a pitch-perfect version of All the Man I Need, which left Tulisa sobbing at the judges’ panel.
Ndubz singer Tulisa then revealed that Ms Barrett’s vice reminded her of her mum and said she wished her own mother had the courage that the contestant had shown.
“Me and my mum have got this really powerful relationship, she’s the reason that I sing,” she commented.
“She had the most powerful voice and never did anything with it – you know, she had me, she became unwell and then, you know, she spent her life still singing in the kitchen, and I wish she’d got up and done that because she has a voice just like that.”
The audition phase of this year’s X-Factor is now over and this weekend end will see the contestant put through their paces in the boot camp section of the show.