The X Factor: Last News

He was the fresh-faced cheeky chap who everyone loved, enthralling TV viewers with his old-fashioned swing-based style on the third series of The X Factor in 2006. Ray Quinn even nearly won the show, coming runner-up to singing sensation Leona Lewis.The Mersyside-born star went on to release a No 1 album, Doin' It My Way – featuring songs including Ain't That A Kick In The Head and My Way – but, after a 30-date UK tour, he was dropped by Simon Cowell's Syco record label at the end of 2007. Undeterred, Ray took part in Dancing On Ice in 2009 and the All Star series in 2014, winning both shows with his incredible skating skills.

Alexandra Burke couldn't keep the smile off her face as she gushed about being in a "little engagement bubble" after her Middlesbrough footballer boyfriend Darren Randolph popped the question earlier this week.The former X Factor singer took to her social media on Thursday, October 3, to share a set of smiling snaps featuring herself and her fiancé, plus their two young children and eagle-eyed fans were quick to spot the huge rock on her ring finger - which is estimated to be worth £70,000. Alongside the smiling snaps, Alexandra wrote: "Thank you for all the kind & loving messages We are in our little engagement bubble with our two little ones soaking up the overwhelming amount of love you guys have shown us So excited to get planning a wedding! Love A&D xoxo." The post followed Alexandra's sweet engagement announcement on Sunday, 29 September, which included a carousel of photos accompanied by an infinity symbol and diamond ring emoji, with Louis Armstrong's What A Wonderful World overplaying it.

As he prepares to welcome his second child with wife Sophie Church, Jake Quickenden makes it clear family is his top priority.The former X Factor star is feeling a mix of nerves and excitement for the new arrival, he says when we speak to him in an exclusive interview at the JustGiving Awards in London’s Roundhouse theatre. Jake already shares son Leo, three, with 31-year-old Sophie, and is stepdad to her son Freddie, who’s 10. “Before I got here, I was building a giant dollhouse for my little boy, I just love special moments like that,” beams Jake, 36, who is clearly a natural dad.

Imagine a Britain where men are subjected to a nightly curfew and have to wear ankle tags to track their movements to keep women and girls safe.That’s the premise of new TV drama Curfew.The series stars Stay Close actress Sarah Parish as a police detective who realises the controversial system isn’t working when a woman is found murdered and singer Alexandra Burke plays a teacher who becomes part of the investigation. Sarah was drawn to the series because she loved the idea of the public debate it would bring. “When I got the job, I remember telling my female friends what it was about and they all said, ‘God, that sounds fantastic, I want to watch that.’ But the reality of a curfew is not fantastic, there are pros and cons and many discussions and arguments to have in favour and against.

She is now a darling of the West End stage, following her impressive stage debut, in The Rise And Fall of Little Voice in 2008 - still one of her favourites to date. But it was in 2008, when Diana Vickers was just 16 and still had a penchant for big beehive hairdos, that she appeared on The X Factor, and quite swiftly became a household name. The 33 year old from Blackburn, who has opened up exclusively to OK! about her hilarious new lead role in I Wish You Well: The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical – a show complete with musical numbers like I’m Gwynnocent, money guns and a giant vagina candle – also reflected on her life-changing time on the show which shot her to fame.

Diana Vickers couldn’t be happier when OK! catches up with her for an exclusive chat.The 33-year-old Blackburn actress, famed back in the day for her stint on Simon Cowell’s X Factor in 2008, is now a well-respected West End force, exuding positivity and fun as she tells us about her new stage role. Diana has taken on a variety of big parts since her acting debut in The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice in 2009, but her latest comes as something of a surprise.

She juggles more plates than most, with a super busy family life at the idyllic Pickle Cottage, various successful brand endorsements and a thriving TV career.That’s not to mention the meticulous makeovers and DIY hacks the interiors lover regularly shares of her home and her seasonal design makeovers, the most recent being for Halloween. But for Sort Your Life out presenter Stacey Solomon - who has Rex, four, Rose, two, and one year old Belle with her hubby, former EastEnder Joe Swash and sons Zachary, 15, and Leighton, 11, from previous relationships - something clearly had to give.

It’s week two of this year’s Strictly Come Dancing and it already looks like celebrity contestant JB Gill has some serious competition – from his own wife.The JLS singer shared a video to social media on Tuesday 24 September that showed JB and his professional partner, Amy Dowden, trying out some dance steps, and busting a move alongside them was JB’s wife Chloe, who proved to be as skilled a dancer as her husband. JB, 37, captioned the post with the words: “Had a surprise visit in rehearsals today from the one and only @mrschloegill! She got a sneak preview of my week 2 routine which is FULL ON! The vibes were undeniable! Can’t wait for you all to see it.” Fans rushed to comment on the post, with many noting that Chloe was the true star of the video.

Shayne Ward has fired back at fans who reckon he was "cocky" during Strictly Come Dancing's first live show on Saturday.The Coronation Street star, 39, impressed the the judges with his Samba to Stevie Wonder's Do I Do alongside professional partner, Nancy Xiu at the BBC Studios in London as the new series kicked off. However, Shayne's charismatic performance was too much for some viewers as they took to X, formerly Twitter, suggesting the X Factor winner was "insufferable". One fan wrote: "If Shayne Ward was made of chocolate he'd lick himself." Another quipped: "Find someone that loves you as much as Shayne Ward loves himself." A third mused: "Cocky much!" While a fourth fumed: "That was insufferable!" However, following the comments, the actor took to his Instagram to assure fans he was anything but over-confident.

Five years after his departure from Coronation Street, Shayne Ward, who played Aidan Connor, is taking to the Strictly dancefloor – the first live show begins on Saturday, 21 September on BBC One. It comes after he swapped the cobbles for a cruise liner, solving crimes on Channel 5's The Good Ship Murder. But what has Shayne been up to during his time away from our screens? Let's delve into his life off screen, including his relationship with a fellow soap star.

Jesy Nelson’s shocking decision to quit iconic girl band Little Mix in 2020 could have saved her life, according to Rak Su singer Myles Stephenson.The Shout Out To My Ex singer, 33, shared her decision to leave the band in December 2020 and said being in Little Mix had taken a toll on her mental health. And Jesy’s surprise decision was supported by fellow The X Factor winners Rak Su at the time.

It was heralded by many viewers as the best season yet - but when Strictly Come Dancing returned on Saturday 14 September with a dazzling, fun and colourful launch show, one change to proceedings had some fans seeing red.That glaring absence was the lack of a same-sex pairing, as per previous years - and fans were swift to take to X to vent their upset. One wrote: "I really loved the launch show but I can't help feeling sad about the lack of same sex pairings, even in the group dances.

The X Factor as part of the band G4, has died at the age of 42.News of his passing was shared online by his fellow G4 bandmates last night (September 9) with a statement on Instagram.“It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our brother and great friend, Ben Thapa. Words cannot express how we all feel right now,” it read.

The X Factor star Ben Thapa has tragically passed away at the age of 42.Tributes have flooded in for the opera singer after news of his death was confirmed by his former band G4 on social media.Taking to Instagram on Monday, 9 September, G4 wrote: "It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our brother and great friend, Ben Thapa. Words cannot express how we all feel right now… We understand that this will be heartbreaking news for so many others too and we send you our love and support as we all remember the amazing man and memories that he has left behind. "Ben has been such a major part of the international singing community and he was a critical part of our journey as a group.Thank you for your love at this difficult time.

Nicole Scherzinger looked incredible as she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a range of tiny bikinis in sun-soaked Hawaii.The singing sensation, 46, set temperatures soaring in the collection of snaps which she shared with her 6.8 million Instagram followers, who gushed she looked "stunning as always". The Pussycat Dolls star and her beau Thom Evans go on some pretty dreamy trips.The loved-up pair are currently enjoying a romantic holiday in Hawaii and it looks like they’re having a lot of fun. Nicole and Thom have been enjoying a slice of island life and she has been documenting their trip with her followers.

Rylan Clark's fans were shocked this week as they heard his 'real' voice in a new video, with the star talking in a noticeably deeper tone than usual. The celeb, who originally made waves on The X Factor in 2012 has since become a beloved television staple, admitted this week that he had forgotten to put on his 'work voice' in the clip - which took his followers aback.

TV and radio star Vick Hope is gracing our screens as the host of BBC's new talent show, Made in Korea: The K-Pop Experience. Vick, 34, rose to fame as a BBC Radio 1 presenter, and now she's married to superstar DJ Calvin Harris. The Strictly Come Dancing alum sparked engagement rumours in May 2022, when she was spotted flaunting a massive diamond ring last year.

Union J's Jaymi Hensley has been dealt a devastating blow with the sudden death of his fiance Olly Marmon.The X Factor favourite 34, is mourning after Olly, 33, tragically passed away following a fall from a third-floor window at Wellingborough's Hind Hotel, Northampton. Panicked calls were made to emergency services late Sunday night, and despite rapid response, Olly was declared dead by 12:30am Monday morning.

Marvin and Rochelle Humes are back on our screens with a new series of The Hit List the BBC's music quiz show that offers fans the chance to bag £10,000 by correctly identifying songs and artists. Given their musical backgrounds - Marvin is part of JLS and Rochelle was in The Saturdays - they confess they can't resist joining in the competition. "When we get fed the answer in our ear, Marvin wants to prove he knows it before he gets told by our producer," Rochelle, 35, cheekily reveals.

Rylan Clark has heartbreakingly confessed that he "cried all the way home" following a heart-wrenching discovery from his past.The much-loved television presenter, shot to fame on The X Factor and went on to marry Big Brother's Dan Neal in 2015 before they sadly split six years later. And now, at 35, Rylan has now opened up about the deep impact his first serious boyfriend, a professional dancer, had on him.The couple were getting pretty serious back when Rylan was just 17 - known then by his real name Ross - even introducing each other to their families.

Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall has confessed that her bandmates once tried to play matchmaker with none other than Prince Harry. Chatting to Nick Grimshaw on the BBC Sounds podcast Sidetracked, Jade discussed her lengthy career, which has spanned almost 15 years and began on The X Factor. During the episode, Jade revealed her Little Mix bandmates Jesy Nelson, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock tried to set her up with Prince Harry at the Royal Variety Performance in 2015.