Manchester's most iconic X Factor contestants and where they are now

With rumours The X Factor could be making a return, we’ve taken a look back at the most iconic Manchester contestants since the singing competition began in 2004.

The X Factor, which was created by Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment, had many presenters and celebrity judges over the years. Dermot O’Learly, Kate Thornton, Olly Murs and Caroline Flack have all fronted the show, while Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh, Cheryl, Nicole Scherzinger, Gary Barlow and Danii Minogue have all taken a seat at the judging panel.

The show hasn’t aired since 2018, but during its 15 years, The X Factor produced some exceptional singers and groups who went on to have global success. This includes a handful from Manchester and the surrounding area.

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Some of the below singers went on to become worldwide stars, while others enjoyed a few years in the spotlight before things quieted down. In our eyes, they’re all iconic for showing Manchester does indeed have talent.

It’s only right we start off with arguably the biggest Northern star to come out of The X Factor. From Holmes Chapel just south of Manchester, Harry auditioned on the show in 2010 as a solo artist aged 16, but was eliminated during bootcamp.

Not wanting Harry’s talent to go to waste, Simon Cowell decided to create a new group with Harry in it - One Direction was born. Years of success followed, as Harry and his bandmates Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik took the world by storm.

In 2016, One Direction (minus Zayn who left in 2015) announced an "indefinite hiatus", allowing Harry to focus on his solo career. Fast-forward to 2022 and Harry is not only enjoying a very