EIGHT years after it last aired, The X Factor is set to make a huge return, with Simon Cowell rebooting it for Gen Z audiences.
But while Simon Cowell’s ITV talent show catapulted the likes of One Direction and Little Mix to world fame, many of the memorable stars have ended up going back to everyday jobs.
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When the huge talent show is revived by ITV, likely next year, viewer interaction through TikTok and YouTube will be centre stage.
A social media-friendly judging panel will front up the all-singing, all-clicking action and names in the frame are likely to include acts such as Pink Pantheress, Yungblud, Raye and Cheryl Tweedy.
Simon is now hoping this 50/50 mix of traditional telly and social media can woo teenagers and twentysomethings who never knew the Saturday night format that once held court in households up and down the land but was put on ice in 2018.
In light of the revival, here’s what some of the most well-known X Factor characters are now doing, from pulling pints in bars to waste collection…
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Ray Quinn
After finishing second to Leona Lewis on the third series of The X Factor in 2006, Ray Quinn initially hit the big time with a UK No1 swing album, and a victory on Dancing on Ice in 2009.
However, when the COVID-19 pandemic halted theatre and live performances, his income started to dry up – as he had been starring in a play at Liverpool’s Royal Court.
The now 38-year-old, who tied the knot with second wife Emily Fletcher in 2023, adapted by working as a Hermes delivery driver before joining his brothers Robin and Darren to work as a carpet fitter.
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Reflecting on the career change, he told The Mirror: “My dad was a carpet fitter all his life. He taught my brothers how to do it.
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“When I first started, I actually went to work in my dad’s old uniform.
“He’d always said you can work your way out of anything; to keep your head up high – and that’s what I’ve done.”
He also spoke about his delivery earnings, adding: “You can have up to 150 parcels in your van and you’re out from 8am to 6pm. It helped put food on the table at the time, but it was reported I was earning £11.40 an hour… I definitely wasn’t on that much!”
Katie Waissel
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Katie Waissel had a tough time during her run on the 2010 X Factor series, placing in the bottom two FOUR weeks in a row, before taking seventh place.
Following TV gigs like Celebrity Big Brother in 2016, she retrained as a fitness instructor.
However, she’s now had another big career change, training as a lawyer and launching a campaign called #FORTHERECORD to protect young talent from sexual predators.
Looking back, Katie doesn’t have fond memories of her time on X Factor which left her with panic attacks and suicidal thoughts.
She told The Times: “The show ruined my life.”
Katie shares her eight-year-old son, Hudson, with her former partner, personal trainer Andy Speer, who was born in 2018.
Andy Abraham
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Andy Abraham captivated viewers on the second series in 2005, finishing as runner-up to Shayne Ward and scoring a No2 album that sold over 300,000 copies.
The 62-year-old even went on to represent the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008.
However, as live touring bookings began to slow down over the years, he decided to return to his original pre-show job, following being declared bankrupt in 2012.
During the pandemic, Andy worked as a refuse collector in his local community – although he is also available for musical bookings now.
He embraced the return, saying to Metro: “I’m literally singing out there as I was during the X Factor show. I’m back to being the official singing binman, which is kind of cool. I’m just enjoying keeping my feet on the ground.”
Lucy Spraggan
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Lucy Spraggan found fame on The X Factor in 2012 – the year that James Arthur won.
And, while she’s still making music, she launched her own £10-a-month personal training platform – after losing an impressive three and a half stone.
Announcing the app, she said: “I’ve taken all the good and the bad of my experience so far, combined it with the knowledge of professional PTs and nutritionists, and created this program.
“It is NOT a quick fix or focussed on weight-loss.
“It is focused on YOUR goals, whether that’s to be fitter, faster, happier, thinner, bigger, leaner or just for something to do! It’s all you.”
Frankie Cocozza
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Frankie Cocozza became one of the eighth series’ most talked-about contestants in 2011 before leaving the show after “breaking competition rules”.
He later went on to come second on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012, behind winner Denise Welch.
The 33-year-old’s party lifestyle quickly caught up with him financially.
After squandering his earnings on wild nights out, Frankie relocated to Australia, where he picked up work behind the bar and on building sites.
He spoke candidly about his downward financial spiral which saw him blow £200,000 of his fortune on booze, leaving him with just a fiver in the bank.
Frankie said: “I didn’t think it was going to end. I spent it all on Fred Perry and booze – among other things I won’t say. Over the years I think I’ve spent about £200,000 on alcohol.”
Now he pursues music in Sydney, Australia, and is dad to son, Frankie Jr, who arrived in May 2019.
He split from wife Bianca Murphy in 2022, and is now in a relationship with lingerie designer Emma Stubbs.
Honey G
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Back in 2016, Honey G – real name Anna Georgette Gilford – was known for donning her signature baseball cap, sunglasses and matching tracksuits.
Despite her unique look, the public certainly warmed to her polite rap persona, and she placed fifth in 2016 under Sharon Osbourne.
While she may not have made the final, she did sign to Syco, Simon Cowell’s record label, following the show.
However, she was dropped after just four months when her single charted at no.149 in the UK charts, which made it one of the lowest performing X Factor singles of all time.
In 2017, she was back on screens for Channel 5’s 100% Hotter (dubbed “the most judgemental show on TV” by critics), where she was stripped of her iconic hat and sunglasses.
In October 2018 it was revealed that she had gone back to work, and had landed a job as an estate agent.
However by December 2018 she revealed she had been sacked and told The Sun: “They didn’t realise how famous I am.”
She revealed she was axed by bosses who gave her an ultimatum to quit her hip hop ambitions and focus full-time on the property business.
These days, Honey G is focusing more on her mindfulness coaching more than music, with the star a CMA-accredited mindfulness practitioner.
Her course website, which is run under her real name Anna, says she specialises in stress, anxiety, and burnout with science-based practices that regulate the nervous system.
However, the star does still work in entertainment, and in December, she appeared in a panto production of Cinderella at Lancashire’s Fleetwood Marine Hall alongside CBB star David Potts.
Sarah Smith
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Sibling pop duo Same Difference were branded as “potentially two of the most annoying people I’ve ever met” by Simon Cowell in 2007.
Yet Sean and Sarah Smith impressed the public and finished in third place, behind runner-up Rhydian Roberts and winner Leon Jackson.
They even managed to sign a big deal with Simon Cowell‘s record label Syco and performed all over the world, but were dropped in December 2014.
Since his X Factor days, Sean has kept in the spotlight but headed for the stage, securing roles in pantomimes alongside solo music goals.
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He also landed a touring role with ‘That’s Entertainment’ and performed alongside stars such as Jane McDonald & The Overtones.
Meanwhile, sister Sarah, now a mother-of-two, took a step back from the limelight and instead opened up a performing arts school in Portsmouth called SD Studios.