Rylan Clark has revealed the ‘honest truth’ about his famous X Factor audition, and it’s not what we expected.
The 35-year-old became well-known on the talent show in 2012, coming in fifth place, but now he has confessed that he didn’t plan to do so.
Rylan has since become well-known, appearing on shows like Celebrity Big Brother, which he won in 2012, hosting Big Brother’s Bit on the Side and The Xtra Factor, as well as Strictly’s It Takes Two and This Morning.
He has also made appearances on Celebrity Gogglebox with his mother Linda, and hosted a BBC Radio 2 show.
But none of this would have happened if ‘Patsy the Peugeot’ hadn’t broken down, as Rylan revealed that he only entered The X Factor because his car stopped working.
He said: ‘I never intended for what happened to me, to happen. I’ll tell you the honest truth, the reason I went on X Factor was my car just broke down, right? Patsy the Peugeot, long may she rest.
‘I thought, if I could go on that show, be in the last week of live shows, get a couple of gigs in some gay clubs, earn about 20 grand, I’ll be able to get a new Patsy, buy my mum a new front door, and might be able to start renting somewhere on my own as I was still living with my mum at the time.’
Rylan went on to The Mirror: ‘Well I’ve built three houses and now I drive a Range Rover so f**k them, I’ve done alright!
‘I don’t know tomorrow, but if it all flies away, I’ve got them two houses. That is
the worst case scenario – living with my mum again.’
Rylan has previously reflected on his journey to stardom, saying he knew he was ‘the joke’ at the start of his career.
He previously told the i: ‘I was the joke, but I knew I was the joke.
‘Listen, I’m not claiming to be f***ing Celine Dion or Mariah, but I can sing. But I weren’t supposed to sing on The X Factor. There is a box for every single person on there, and I ticked the “gay stereotype joke” box.
‘I could either stand there and sing and hope to get through, along with a million other auditionees, or I could play the game and put on a feather boa and a light-up outfit and have an argument with Gary Barlow.’
He added: ‘‘The council estate boy is always going to be there. I’ve not changed. My world changed. My teeth changed, my voice changed, but I never changed. Now people are just realising, “He is quite switched on! He does know what he’s doing!” I knew it years ago, but it was hidden with long blonde extensions and a feather boa.’
After ten years in the industry, Rylan released his tell-all memoir, which was revealed after he separated from his spouse in 2021 following six years of marriage.
He shared his feelings about the impact it had on him and how he experienced two heart failures and was admitted to the hospital after the end of his relationship.
In addition to the difficulties in his personal life, Rylan also talked about the successes of his career over the past decade, telling his followers: ‘We all know I should have lasted ten minutes, so how I’ve lasted ten years, I’ll never know.’
