Jake Quickenden almost made it through to The X Factor live shows in 2012 but mentor Nicole Scherzinger decided not to put him through.
This year Jake returned to give the show another shot and he’s sailed through to the live shows with Mel B as his mentor. The emotion he’s packed into his performances fuelled by the loss of his brother has made him one of the most popular contestants on this year’s series.
Jake has been told he doesn’t have as big a voice as the other boys in his category but its undeniable that there’s something about him that makes us want him to succeed.
Was he confident about getting through to the live shows? “I didn’t think I was through. The group was so, so strong. They were all lovely guys, amazing voices. Paul and Andrea have such strong voices but you don’t need everyone in the category to sound the same. I’m just going to work. Work, work, work, and do what it takes.”
Talking about his Mum’s reaction Jake says, “Oh, God she was delighted. She’d been having kittens all day, waiting. She was like, ‘Jacob, I’m so proud’. She was really happy. I haven’t seen her happy like that for ages. I didn’t want to make her cry, I wanted to make her happy.”
Does he have a game plan for the lives? “I want to do a bit of everything and show my versatility. I want to dance and move around, and sing ballads. I haven’t got a big Whitney Houston voice but what I have got is a tone that I can use. I just hope people get behind me.”
The X Factor 2014 live shows kick off this weekend at 7.30pm on ITV. Watch Jake’s judges’ houses performance below:
