I grew up in Manchester in a big Irish family - there are seven of us in all - so my life has always been about role-playing, about doing anything for a laugh. I'm always joking about; that's the way I am.

I would never have been discovered without the X Factor. I was just doing the working men's clubs and I loved doing that. That was the life for me at that time. I never expected to be noticed doing that, that's why I went for X Factor by myself.

Obviously there are a lot of 12-year-olds over in America who are incredible singers.

What I said to my family is, 'Our history is our own. Let people write what they want, we know who we are.

If somebody tells me I'm famous I say, 'I'm not.' I can't see myself as famous and I don't think I'll ever call myself famous. I definitely don't feel famous. To me, this is just a job.

I don't see the point in being bitter.

I grew up in Manchester in a big Irish family - there are seven of us in all - so my life has always been about role-playing, about doing anything for a laugh. I'm always joking about; that's the way I am.