Kentish Express Ashford & District
X Factor loser Freddy to fight on for music future
The X Factor dream has come to an end for Freddy Parker after he was voted off the competition.
The 18-year-old, who lives near Ashford, was booted off in week two of the live shows last weekend after a tense sing-off against Finnish rival Saara Aalto.
Following his departure, he told the Kent Messenger he’d had the time of his life on the show, but struggled with nerves.
Previously the teenager had only ever sung in front of an audience of a few hundred parents in Sutton Valence School shows .
On being watched by nearly seven million people on ITV1, he said: “I’ve never even gigged before and the nerves were awful.
“I thought I was going to pass out while I was waiting backstage on the results show. It was hell.
“I’m so gutted to be leaving the show but I’m so grateful to have got this far and have no regrets.
“I literally gave it everything and I’ve had the best time of my life.”
During the sing-off on Sunday Freddy performed Stay by Rihanna, while Saara took on Leona Lewis’s cover of Run by Freddy Parker performing on the show Snow Patrol.
Mentor Nicole Scherzinger and mogul Simon Cowell voted to save Freddy, but fellow judges Sharon Osborne and Louis Walsh opted for Saara, taking the vote to deadlock, where it goes back to the public vote. Saara received the most, sending the former favourite-to-win home.
Since leaving the show Freddy, who worked at East Dean Kennels in Smarden Road, Headcorn, says he won’t give up on his dream to be a singer-songwriter.
He said: “Since I could speak I’ve been singing. Going on the show has given me so much confidence so now I’m going to do some gigging and work hard.
“I don’t want to let this opportunity I’ve been given slip away.”