Dalton: ‘I used to think everyone would hurt me’
He’s battled so much, but Dalton Harris says he’s here to stay
Afavourite to win the show since day one, Dalton Harris came from humble beginnings in his home country of Jamaica. Growing up in a oneroom house without electricity or running water, the 24 year old wanted nothing more than to achieve his dream of becoming a singer. Here, he tells us what he has overcome to get to this stage… How happy were you to discover Cheryl was a fan? It’s no secret that I have the biggest crush on Cheryl. I think she’s mega-talented. And she knows who I am! That’s crazy.
‘It’s no secret that I have a big crush on Cheryl’
Have your family been supportive of your career? My family is my two sisters – they’re the only family I have that support me and don’t try to hurt me. I never grew up with the whole family thing. I wasn’t accepted by my dad’s family – they thought I wasn’t his kid, so they never supported me. So, it’s just been me and my sisters, and they’ve always been proud and believed in me. You speak a lot about mental health on Instagram – is that something you’ve struggled with in the past? When I was younger, people would tell me, “You should kill yourself. Nobody wants you.” I was abused in every single way. I travelled through life with a lack of value in myself into my teen years. Being homeless, living with strangers – people treat you really badly. Everything was really bad. I struggled with depression. I wasn’t always the best in my head. I was basically afraid of human beings – I thought everyone would hurt me. If you speak about having struggles with your head, people think you’re mad. I knew I had to defeat it. And I did. I was not going to let people tell me I should die. Has The X Factor helped? Music has always helped me. I’m doing what I love. And everybody at The X Factor has been so supportive. As a man, I know it’s not that “manly” to say there were times when I didn’t want to be alive, but there are a lot of people that struggle with those kind of feelings. You need to get up every single day and know the person who you are is fine for you. Live your life the best way you can – if you can’t do that, you’ll never make anybody else happy. What is your relationship with Louis like? He’s been so much more than a mentor. He takes care of me like no one else. I’ll definitely stay in contact with him after the show. Yes, he’s a big star and everything, but he’s a person first. He’s almost at the house too often – he’s just there for me.