RUSSELL CROONS INTO X FACTOR JUDGES’ HEARTS
AFORMER Only Boys Aloud singer had four “yeses” on the X Factor last night after impressing the judges with his rendition of a Disney classic. Russell Jones belted out I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book and the 25-year-old even took the opportunity to ask out Nicole Scherzinger mid-song.
He crooned: “Now you’re the queen of X Factor and you look so gorgeous you do... I would like to take you on a date to the cabin, can I?”
Russell, who grew up in Pontypool, is no stranger to reality TV after reaching third place in Britain’s Got Talent performing with Only Boys Aloud in May 2012.
But he decided to go solo and audition for Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne – who loved it.
Nicole described the performance as “hands down” her favourite of the day.
She told him: “Oh my gosh you’re my favourite treat, you’re like candy to me... Everything from your head to your toes, I love.”
Simon even said it put him in a good mood.
He said: “I thought it was a great audition, the fact that it’s old school, it’s kind of jazzy makes you distinct.
“My only advice would be, going forward it’s got to be authentic.”
Speaking to Dermot O’Leary, Rus- sell said words could not describe it and that he was “so excited”.
It’s a far cry from his usual audience as Russell performs for residents at Wales’ care homes.
He said he loves to do it because it “makes a difference”.
Russell told us previously that he used to set up equipment for his dad’s shows in care homes, unaware he had a hidden talent for singing himself.
When his father, a lawyer and parttime singer, died of cancer in 2009 aged just 53, Russell took over.
After that he performed in local shows and visited old people’s homes to sing before being asked to join Only Boys Aloud.
Elsewhere on the show we saw busking brothers Sean, 17, and 15-year-old Conor Price from Blessington, Ireland, finish the show with “yeses” from all the judges.
They performed a unique and modern rendition of Jimi Hendrix’s All Along The Watchtower.
Complete with rapping from guitar-playing Sean and singing from Conor, the judges – Cowell, Scherzinger, Walsh and Alesha Dixon (standing in for Sharon Osbourne) were hugely impressed.
Alesha told them: “That was beau- tiful. I couldn’t fault it.”
Simon gushed: “Wow. This is probably one of the best auditions we’ve had. I don’t want to change a single thing from what I saw and heard from today.
“Every so often I sit in these auditions and think... thank God we found people like you.”
Returning singer Tracy Leanne Jefford, who first auditioned for The X Factor in 2006, got through to the next stage with her cover of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles.
The 34-year-old mother and member of the travelling community from Middlesex told the judges she lost five-and-a-half stone in weight since her first appearance, and that she has recently divorced her husband of 17 years.
The X Factor continues today at 8pm on ITV.