Rhydian Roberts is one of X Factor's most famous contestants.
The baritone singer shot to stardom in 2007 on season 4 of the popular ITV programme. Rhydian's unique style and distinctive platinum blonde look captivated the judges as he sailed through to the live shows when he was mentored by Dannii Minogue.
Rhydian was 24 years old when he appeared on the programme and faced tough competition from acts such as Same Difference and Niki Evans. The opera singer progressed all the way through to the final as fans were thrilled with his operatic renditions of songs such as Go West and Get The Party Started.
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Rhydian eventually finished in second place behind Leon Jackson, but was still offered a recording contract by Simon Cowell's label, Syco Music. The musician described his journey on the programme as a "whirlwind" - as Mirror Online reports.
He said: "I had a great time. I was surprised I even got to the final two because of the nature of the voice. It's very much a pop show."
Rhydian's career went from strength-to-strength following his X Factor stint as he released his self titled debut album in November 2008. The album gained platinum status in weeks and earned him the title of highest selling male solo artist of the year with 600,000 copies sold.
He performed to an audience of over 30,000 at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th Birthday Party in Hyde Park and Prince Charles invited him to become a patron of The Prince's Trust. After going on tour, Rhydian released second album 'O Fortuna' and recorded his own television special for Welsh broadcaster S4C followed by the documentary 'Rhydian'.
After releasing two classical crossover albums, Rhydian decided to change his sound for his 2011 album 'Waves'. Rhydian joined the cast of West End musical 'We Will Rock You' in 2011, has appeared in the pantomime Aladdin, the Rocky Horror Show and touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Little Shop of Horrors.
Rhydian was working as a personal trainer when he auditioned for the X Factor - and he has continued to work on his physique as he showed off his ripped transformation in a photoshoot in 2015. However, Rhydian has opened up in the past on how he has struggled with his body image.
He told Loose Women in 2018: "I did back at university. I guess you'd call it body dysmorphia. I don't have it now but when you're on TV there's always a pressure to look good.
"The same is true with men as well. I don't have it bad at all. When I was muscular, you're never big enough or thin enough, whatever it is. It's not that important now and the older you get the more accepting you are."
Rhydian is now aged 39 years old and has moved away from performing in recent years and is now working away from the limelight. He describes himself as an "X Factor legend" in his Twitter bio and also reveals he is working for an entertainment management company.
His new role is as an Artist Manager and Promoter to the stars, including Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead, Iranian-Canadian West End actor Rami Karimloo, actress Samantha Barks and pop band UB40. Rhydian is keeping himself busy as he has also stated that he is a property developer and investor.
Away from his showbiz career, Rhydian has been in a relationship with his girlfriend, Liesl, since 2016 and revealed he became a step-dad to her son.
He said in 2018: "He doesn't have a dad basically so I stepped in and I'm playing the role. I love it, you have to become completely selfless. To see his development is just gorgeous to see. He hates me singing. I practise at home and he says, 'daddy, daddy, stop singing'."
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