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Ryan plans return to musical roots to save X Factor dream
Coatbridge singer Ryan Lawrie is going back to his roots to try and avoid a fourth straight stint in the X Factor’s bottom three.
This week’s theme on the TV talent show is “Boyband” and Ryan will draw on past experience to impress the judges — and the millions watching at home.
Ryan was a member of boyband Exposure before embarking on a solo career and he’s confident he can tap into this experience on Saturday’s live show.
The 20-year-old said: “I really enjoyed my time with Exposure and we sang a lot of songs performed by boybands.
“We did gigs across the country and got great feedback.
“I’m looking forward to Saturday and putting on a brilliant performance.
“Hopefully my experience will stand me in good stead.”
During Sunday’s aptly named Fright Night results show, Ryan faced up to the nightmarish prospect of finding himself in the bottom three for the third time — and was yet again saved from the axe by the show’s “lifeline” vote.
That’s despite X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger praising his performance 24 hours earlier.
His mentor Nicole gave him a standing ovation and said the other contestants should “be afraid” and hard-to-please Simon Cowell told Ryan he was “a thousand times better than last week”.
And Ryan has called on the people of Monklands — and across the country — to give him their backing and help him reach the show’s latter stages.
He said: “I need my fans to pick up the phone and vote for me as I am desperate to avoid being in the bottom three again.
“It’s fantastic to reach the final eight acts in the competition and I just want to keep showing what type of man and performer I am and go as far as I can.”
Ryan was joined by girlfriend Emily Middlemas — who was also voted through to the show’s final eight contestants — and family and friends at a gathering at Buchanan Galleries shopping centre in Glasgow last Friday.
Ryan’s sister, Samantha, said: “Events like this show the type of support Ryan has and the backing of his fans and the people of Monklands and Scotland means the world to him.
“Hundreds of people turned out to see Ryan and loads of them brought along their own banners and flags.
“Ryan has done brilliantly to reach week five of the live shows and we don’t want to see him in the bottom three again.”