Sam Bailey | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Samantha Bailey |
| Born | 1977 Bexley, England |
| Genres | Pop, soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Labels | Syco |
Sam Bailey (born 1977) is an English singer from Leicester. She won the tenth series of The X Factor in December 2013. Bailey has gained the nickname "screwbo", a portmanteau of "screw" – the name given to prison wardens – and "SuBo", due to her audition being reminiscent of that of Susan Boyle's Britain's Got Talent audition.[1]
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Main article: The X Factor (UK series 10) |
Bailey sang "Listen" in her room audition and "Who's Loving You" in the arena. She sang "Clown" at bootcamp, and "I Have Nothing" and "Without You" at judges' houses. She was eventually mentored by returning judge, Sharon Osbourne, who was part of the series' original panel since its early beginnings from 2004 to 2007.
Following the eliminations of Lorna Simpson in week 1 and Shelley Smith in week 2, Bailey became the last over 25 left in the competition. On 8 December, she made it to the final, becoming the first female over 25s contestant to achieve this feat, along with Nicholas McDonald and Luke Friend.[2] On 14 December, she duetted with X Factor judge Scherzinger and was later announced as the winner singing Skyscraper by Demi Lovato. The following day, she became the first "Over" to win the competition since Steve Brookstein did so in 2004.[3]
A report by The Sun claimed Bailey had "misled the public" by stating that she had no previous singing experience, when in fact she had been performing on cruise ships, in clubs and at music festivals for several years. Bailey defended herself in an interview with the Leicester Mercury, stating: "I have been totally honest that I have sang for 20 years but never made it. What's the problem with that?"[4]
| Show | Song choice | Theme | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auditions | "Listen" | Free choice | Through to bootcamp |
| "Who's Loving You" | Free choice | ||
| Bootcamp | "Clown" | Free choice | Through to judges' houses |
| Judges' houses | "I Have Nothing" | Free choice | Through to live shows |
| "Without You" | |||
| Live show 1 | "The Power of Love" | Songs from the 1980s | Safe |
| Live show 2 | "Make You Feel My Love" | Love and heartache | Safe |
| Live show 3 | "My Heart Will Go On" | Movie week | Safe |
| Live show 4 | "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)" | Disco | Safe |
| Live show 5 | "Theme from New York, New York" | Big band | Safe |
| Live show 6 | "Something" | The Great British Songbook | Safe |
| Live show 7 | "Bleeding Love" | The Best of The X Factor | Safe |
| Live show 8 | "How Will I Know" | Contestant's musical heroes | Safe |
| "Clown" | Viewers' choice | ||
| Semi-final | "If I Were a Boy" | Elton John vs. Beyoncé | Safe |
| "Candle in the Wind" | |||
| Final | "The Edge of Glory" | New song | Safe |
| "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" (with Nicole Scherzinger) | Celebrity duet | ||
| "The Power of Love" | Favourite performance | Winner | |
| "Skyscraper" | Winner's single |
After Sam won The X Factor on December 15, 2013 she released her winners single a cover of "Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato the following day on iTunes, the single will receive a physical release on December 18, 2013 and will feature three of her best X Factor performances - "The Power of Love", "Make You Feel My Love" and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)".[5] In February 2014, Bailey will support Beyonce on her UK leg of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour.
Bailey was born in Bexley and went to Bexley Arts College.[6][7] She lives with her husband Craig[8] and their two children,[1] Tommy and Brooke.[8] She is a Leicester City fan.
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "Skyscraper" | TBA |