Has Littleborough singer Danny Dearden got the X Factor?

Danny Dearden

Littleborough singer Danny Dearden will find out this weekend if he has made it through to the judge’s houses stage of the X Factor.

Danny, 23, auditioned for the X Factor in Newcastle after missing the Manchester auditions.

He said: “I think I auditioned in July. I can’t remember exactly when it was because it all becomes a bit of a blur. I missed the Manchester auditions though and went to Newcastle.”

Danny started singing around five years ago. One night during a night out he did karaoke and discovered he could sing.

“I only really started signing at about 18/19. I got up one night and did karaoke and it just sort of went from there really. I have just perused it from then on and have had my friends telling me to do more” he said.

After being laid off from numerous jobs, Danny was contacted by an independent record label and joined boyband Projekt Weekend.

“We did a few school tours with the band and that was good. It was a good way for me to build up my experience and my confidence,” added Danny.

Danny then went solo after the band and auditioned for the X Factor two years ago. He got to boot camp but was then let go.

He said: “I think now really felt like the right time to audition again because I had done more things and had built up my confidence and performance level. When I first auditioned I didn’t know much and hadn’t done a lot so I don’t think I was ready then. Now I know a bit more about the industry and have done gigs so I think now was definitely the right time.”

After Danny’s Newcastle room audition in front of judges Louis Walsh, Mel B, Cheryl Cole and Simon Cowell, he was put through to the next round to perform in front of 5,000 people at Wembley Arena.

He said: “I have never performed to that many people before. I think the most has been about 20 or 30, so it was nerve wracking. You are waiting around all day and you go through all of these emotions for that one moment so it is a really big thing.”

Danny’s family and friends have been supporting him through the process and are 100% behind him.

“My mum has been to the auditions with me and so have my friends. My mum was in tears after the audition at Wembley,” he added.

Even though viewers of the show will only know the result by the end of the weekend, Danny has had to keep tight-lipped about the decision and says it has been a hard secret to keep.


“Obviously you have to keep it a secret because that is the show and if you go around telling people it would spoil it but my friends have been pestering me trying to find out but they understand that I can’t tell them. I would be exactly the same if it was one of them on the show. It has been hard to not tell people but everyone will know by the weekend,” said Danny.