Rylan Clark has revealed the ‘honest truth’ about his legendary X Factor audition, and it is not what we expected.
The 35-year-old national treasure rose to prominence in the talent competition in 2012, coming sixth, but he now admits he had no intention of doing so.
Rylan has subsequently made a reputation for himself, starring on Celebrity Big Brother, which he won in 2012, Big Brother’s Bit on the Side, The Xtra Factor, Strictly’s It Takes Two, and This Morning.
He has also been on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside his mother Linda, as well as hosting a BBC Radio 2 show.
But none of it would have occurred if it hadn’t been for ‘Patsy the Peugeot’, with Rylan admitting that he never planned to become famous and only entered The X Factor when his vehicle broke down.
He said: ‘I never intended what happened for me, to happen. I’ll tell you the Gods honest truth, the reason I went on X Factor was my car just broke down, right? Patsy the Peugeot, long may she rest.
‘I thought, if I could go on that show, last one week of live shows, get a couple of gigs in some gay clubs, earn about 20 grand, I’ll be able to get a new Patsy, buy my mum a new front door, and might be able to start renting somewhere on my own as I was still living with my mum at the time.’
Rylan went on to The Mirror: ‘Well I’ve built three houses and now I drive a Range Rover so f**k them, I’ve done alright!
‘I don’t know tomorrow, but if it all flies away, I’ve got them two houses. That is
the worst case scenario – living with my mum again.’
Rylan has previously remarked on his rise to prominence, stating that he was aware he was ‘the joke’ at the outset of his career.
He previously told the i: ‘I was the joke, but I knew I was the joke.
‘Listen, I’m not claiming to be f***ing Celine Dion or Mariah, but I can sing. But I weren’t supposed to sing on The X Factor. There is a box for every single person on there, and I ticked the “gay stereotype joke” box.
‘I could either stand there and sing and hope to get through, along with a million other auditionees, or I could play the game and put on a feather boa and a light-up outfit and have an argument with Gary Barlow.’
He added: ‘‘The council estate boy is always going to be there. I’ve not changed. My world changed. My teeth changed, my voice changed, but I never changed. Now people are just realising, “He is quite switched on! He does know what he’s doing!” I knew it years ago, but it was hidden with long blonde extensions and a feather boa.’
Rylan, who had been in the profession for 10 years, launched his tell-all memoir after splitting from his husband after six years of marriage in 2021.
He came out about the toll it had on him, including two heart failures and a hospitalisation following the end of his partnership.
As well as the lows of his personal life, Rylan also reflected on the highs of his career over the ten years, telling his fans at the time: ‘We all know I should have lasted ten minutes, so how I’ve lasted ten years, I’ll never know.’