Quickenden says he doesn’t want ‘pity’ on tonight’s ‘X Factor’
By Josh Haggis
Jake Quickenden tells The X Factor judging panel that he “doesn’t want pity” when he appears on the show tonight (September 21).
In his room audition earlier this month, the 25-year-old from Scunthorpe revealed that his younger brother had passed away in 2013. After a shaky first song choice, Quickenden belted out a second song and received four “yes” votes from the panel.
Quickenden, who first appeared on The X Factor in 2012, returns for his arena audition tonight – and tells Simon Cowell, Mel B, Cheryl Cole and Louis Walsh that he wants to be judged on his talent rather than his life story.
“It can be quite hard sometimes. I don’t like people knowing I’m vulnerable,” Quickenden says, according to our friends at Digital Spy.
“I don’t like people knowing what I’ve gone through, because I don’t want pity. I want people to like me for me. I’m not here to mess around. I don’t like losing. There’s no going back. I need to up my game.”
Simon Cowell goes on to reassure Quickenden – whose first run on The X Factor was ended by Nicole Scherzinger at the Judges’ Houses stage in 2012 – that he made the right decision in coming back for a second attempt.
“I’m not normally a massive fan of people who come back,” says Cowell. “Because normally there is a reason you get kicked out. However, this particular year I wasn’t on the show. You shouldn’t have been kicked off.”
“I’m really, really happy you came back,” he adds.
If you fancy seeing more of Jake Quickenden, take a look at our Picture Special featuring the singing hopeful here.
You can catch his arena audition on The X Factor tonight (September 21) at 8pm on ITV.
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