Zero to heroes
Rak-su can give up day job
RAK-SU have told how they left behind zero-hours contracts for money-spinning record contracts.
In an exclusive chat, the band – who triumphed against Grace Davies in The X Factor – revealed the transformation in their day jobs.
Mustafa, who worked in the hotel business, told us: “I was put on a zerohours contract so technically I am still working there. There may have to be a little phone call.”
Jamaal worked as a neuro-physio assistant in the NHS also on a zerohours contract. But he said his work was incredibly supportive after his success. “They were really understanding,” he said. “What they allowed me to do was to reduce to a zero-hours contract and take unpaid leave until the end of the show.”
He added: “I’d got accepted to do a Masters in physiotherapy. But it was too expensive to do so I had to defer the course for a year, then X Factor came up.
“It’s something I really want to do in the future, but it might be hard being famous and a physio, although the RUNNER-UP phone might be ringing off the hook.” It also emerged the band – who are all aged between 25 and 26 and includes former recruitment workers Myles and Ashley – triumphed in seven of the eight public votes they were involved in.
They lost out to rival Kevin Davy White by 0.1% during the third weekend of live finals on the TV3 show. Last weekend the lads won 51.7% of the vote, ahead of Grace on 40.1% and Kevin, who left on Saturday, who got 8.2%.