The X Factor launched in 2004 and has since become a global phenomenon with various adaptations all over the world and a total of 244 winners.
But it all started with the first series in the UK, which was won by swoon-worthy singer Steve Brookstein, who won the hearts of viewers with his vocals and looks.
However earlier this week, fans of the show were left gob-smacked when Steve appeared in a small Northumberland pub looking unrecognisable.
The singer, 55, proved he is still as talented as ever belted out hits with his soulful voice at the small, low-key gig – but his change of appearance didn’t go unnoticed.
Steve made his bid for fame when he auditioned for the then brand-new show and almost 10 million people tuned watched him beat G4 in the final.
At the time, he scooped a £1million record deal and Simon Cowell, his mentor on the show, hailed him as the new Robbie Williams.
His first single, a cover version of the Phil Collins hit Against All Odds, suggested he might live up to that billing by soaring to number one in the United Kingdom, but it wasn’t long before his career started to stall.
His subsequent debut album, Heart And Soul, reached number one with UK sales of 105,338, but a second single was not forthcoming and Steve was eventually dropped by his label, Sony BMG.
Steve continues to perform intermittently in small venues, singing a rendition of soul covers and played at Esher Theatre in Surrey on Valentine’s Day alongside 90s boyband East 17.
But what happened to his fellow X Factor alumni – including G4, Tabby Callaghan and Rowetta Satchell? Here reveals their varied career paths.
Former X Factor winner Steve Brookstein looked unrecognisable as he performed to punters at a small Northumberland pub over the weekend
Fans of the show were left gob-smacked when Steve appeared in a small Northumberland pub looking unrecognisable (pictured on the X Factor in 2004)
The singer, 55, proved he is still as talented as ever belted out hits with his soulful voice at the small, low-key gig – but his change of appearance didn’t go unnoticed
G4
G4 was a four-piece British vocal troupe that stole the nation’s hearts when they finished second place in the first series.
G4, formed of Jonathan Ansell, Mike Christie, Ben Thapa and Matt Stiff rose to fame during their time on the ITV show.
The group had secured a £1.5million album deal with Sony after they finished second on the show.
After G4’s success on X Factor, the group disbanded in 2007 and cited disagreements between members.
In 2014, the band reunited to mark their 10-year anniversary and performed numerous shows around the country.
They released an album for Christmas in 2015. Ben left the group in 2018 but continued performing solo.
The band currently consists of original members tenor Ansell and baritone Christie, with Jai McDowall joining after Lewis Raines left in 2023.
G4 frontman Jon Ansell said: ‘We applied for The X Factor as a bit of fun in the hope of securing a positive quote from lead judge Simon Cowell for our upcoming college concert poster. We could never have imagined where this would subsequently lead.’
They are set to go on tour in May 2025 with their new style of showmanship as they will perform smash-hit songs from the West End and Broadway.
Decades later, the group still has loyal regular listeners, and Spotify revealed they have acquired 4,517 monthly listeners.
Last month, Ben Thapa passed away aged 42. The cause of death is currently unknown.
G4, formed of Jonathan Ansell, Mike Christie, Ben Thapa and Matt Stiff rose to fame when they finished second on the series
Last month, Ben Thapa passed away aged 42. The cause of death is currently unknown
Emotional tributes poured in for the ‘great friend and amazing man’ after his ‘sudden’ death was announced.
The tenor revealed he was in hospital last week after he shared a photo on his Instagram of a dialysis machine.
Prior to his sad passing, the opera singer revealed he underwent a nephrostomy in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on August 27 and said it was ‘hopefully the start of better things to come’.
A nephrostomy is a tube that lets urine drain from the kidney through an opening in the skin on the back.
He wrote on Instagram: ‘Emergency nephrostomy done… hopefully the start of better things to come! #peeinabag’
On July 9, Ben also hinted at another health scare as he shared a photo of an IV drip in his hand, but didn’t disclose why.
The group’s Instagram account revealed the devastating news with a saddened posts alongside pictures of Ben.
It read: ‘It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our brother and great friend, Ben Thapa.
‘Words cannot express how we all feel right now… We understand that this will be heartbreaking news for so many others too and we send you our love and support as we all remember the amazing man and memories that he has left behind.
‘Ben has been such a major part of the international singing community and he was a critical part of our journey as a group. Thank you for your love at this difficult time. RIP Ben xxxx’
Tabby Callaghan
Tabby Callaghan came in third place on the series after being mentored by Sharon Osbourne
He still works as a musician, playing in a number of bands as well as working as a session musician and producer
Tabby Callaghan came in third place on the series after being mentored by Sharon Osbourne.
However, the singer, 43, struggled to capitalise on his success after the show and has spoken ab out
He told Metro.co.uk in May, how he lost contact with Sharon after a year and explained: ‘It went from we’re going to America to nothing and it did kind of traumatise me at the time.
Read More
X Factor star reveals engagement as she shows off sparkling ring after romantic proposal
‘I felt like she had a plan. But as time went on, I started to question whether she had a plan.
‘I just wish that maybe she had let me go a bit earlier because I found out a couple of years after that I was getting offers left, right, and center. There was a lot of stuff I missed out on that I wasn’t even aware of.’
Tabby also hit out at the show in 2009, when he said: ‘Anyone who thinks they are going on The X Factor to make big money will be in for a big shock.
‘Contestants think it is the beginning of their career, but there is nothing to back it up. They set you up for this big thing and then after the show you can’t sign with anyone for three months. By then, the heat has fizzled out and you’re on your own.
‘I would never go near another reality TV show . . . I’ve been depressed, ripped off and left high and dry.’
He still works as a musician, playing in a number of bands as well as working as a session musician and producer and is still trying to break through in the music industry.
On TikTok, he boasts 1,496 followers and on Instagram, he has a more impressive 2,473 followers.
It appears Tabby has only recently returned to making his own music as his Spotify discography contains just one 2023 single a throwback album that was released in 2024.
Rowetta Satchell
Rowetta blew the judges and fans away with her powerful vocals when she starred on the series (pictured in 2004)
Rowetta revealed that she had turned down several reality shows as she just wanted to concentrate on making good music and now tours with Happy Monday’s
Rowetta Satchell blew the judges and fans away with her powerful vocals when she starred on the series.
And though she ended up finishing in fourth place years later the singer, 58, told how she’s relieved she wasn’t crowned the champion.
In an interview last month, the Happy Mondays vocalist told how she wasn’t a fan of the winner’s song – Somewhere Over The Rainbow first recorded by Judy Garland – stating that she wouldn’t be able to ‘move on’ from the show once it was finished.
Rowetta, who finished up behind Tabby Callaghan and G4, told The Metro: ‘As the top woman, I’m really glad that I didn’t win, because my single would have been Somewhere Over The Rainbow.
‘I wanted to do Stop Crying Your Heart Out, Oasis, to be honest, but Simon said it wouldn’t work. But for me, it would have done because then I could have moved on from the X Factor.’
Despite having performed the hit track from the Wizard Of Oz in week three of the live shows, Rowetta suggested that releasing the track – as the competition winner would have had to do – would have been detrimental for the music career she wanted to pursue.
She added: ‘I think it would have been a disaster to win it, and then have to bring out songs like that. I love funky stuff. I don’t want to be doing Somewhere Over The Rainbow for the rest of my life.’
The star went on to add that as long as she was the ‘top woman’ (the final female in the competition), that would be her ambition and would be a ‘great result’.
During the chat, Rowetta also revealed that she had turned down several reality shows as she just wanted to concentrate on making good music, stating that she had ‘never done it for the money’.
She released her debut single, titled Beautiful Lies in February, 2010 and became Top 40 single debuting at #23 in the Irish Singles Chart.
And her success on the show should not have been a shock to viewers as she had already gained a musical background grounded in classical training with The Royal Academy of Music.
She has achieved quite an accomplished career in the music industry, as she is still to this day writing and singing for DJs around the world.
She also tours with Happy Mondays.
But Roberta’s biggest news in recent days, is one of her wedding as she got hitched to her partner earlier this month.
Cassie Compton
The then 17-year-old Cassie Compton finished the show in fifth place after impressing the judges
Cassie has since gone on to forge an acting career, starring in programmes such as Call The Midwife and Mr Selfridge
The then 17-year-old Cassie Compton finished the show in fifth place after impressing the judges.
She left the show after a sing off with Tabby Callaghan during week 5 of the live shows.
Cassie has since gone on to forge an acting career, starring in programmes such as Call The Midwife and Mr Selfridge.
Sharing a photo herself to Instagram of her time on the show recently, she wrote: ‘My iPhoto ‘memories’ remembers this moment more than I do!
‘What an introduction to this industry… 17 years later this photo is the f**king bomb. Ps: thanks @jackosbourne for holding my shaking hand that evening- I would have fallen over. My love to you all.’
Verity Keays
Verity Keays won the support of the judges when she revealed how her controlling former husband refused to allow her to sign a record contract
Verity now offers one to one singing lessons, covering most genres of music
Verity Keays won the support of the judges when she revealed how her controlling former husband refused to allow her to sign a record contract.
The music teacher from Lincolnshire became the second person to be voted off the show during the finals.
Her version of Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wings failed to impress the public and she found herself ranked in the bottom two acts.
Verity now offers one to one singing lessons, covering most genres of music.
Two 2 Go
Blind singer and musician Peter Jones and his partner Emma Paine were voted off the show during week three of the finals
Peter released his first solo album titled Look At Me Now, in 2010, but Emma has remained out of the spotlight
Blind singer and musician Peter Jones and his partner Emma Paine were voted off the show during week three of the finals.
The couple went on to tour with the other finalists following the competition.
Peter released his first solo album titled Look At Me Now, in 2010 with his second Tiger Moth Tales in 2013.
While he has continued to released more albums, Emma has remained out of the spotlight.
Voices with Soul
Voices with Soul is a three-member British female soul vocal group that finished 6th place in week four. It consisted of family members Grace, Hildia and Corene Campbell
Voices with Soul is a three-member British female soul vocal group that finished 6th place in week four.
The group, who were guided under Louis Walsh, consisted of family members Grace, Hildia and Corene Campbell.
While the group has not established itself in the charts following its stint in the competition, some members have become familiar faces on TV.
Mum and daughter Grace and Corene won Channel 4’s Coach Trip in 2014, travelling to destinations across Europe on a 20-day tour.
Then, Corene appeared as a judge on BBC One’s All Together Now in 2018 and 2019.
She was one of the 100 judges for the show.
While they have talented singing talents, the group has only gathered five monthly listeners on Spotify and has released a single and an EP for its discography.
Despite not releasing their own hits onto the charts, the group has been on several tours around the UK and has sung at many festivals and gigs.