Growing up, we didn't have anything. My mum wasn't well, so I was in three care homes then foster homes before me and my little brother went back to her. I was passed from pillar to post.

I knew I could sing. That one thing I did believe in was that I could sing, but then constantly getting rejected, it started to get me down. But my voice was always there and my dream and my ambition was always there when I went through bad times.

My family are too grounded, and I will go home to visit. I always need my dose of Liverpool to keep me grounded.

If you are going to survive in business, show business or any business, then you have to be bold.

People think that because of my nature and the tone of my voice that I'm stupid, and that's hard.

My advice is, if you are going to go on 'X Factor,' you have to know who you are as an artist.

You meet someone, you care for them, and you fall in love; it's what it is.