'X Factor': Where Are They Now? Find Out What Happened To Past Contestants Like Cher Lloyd, James Arthur And Rylan Clark

What Happened To The Contestants Of 'X Factor' Past?
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After months of endless rumours and speculation about what’s in store for us, the wait is finally over, a brand new series of ‘The X Factor’ is about to begin, with a whole new bunch of hopefuls waiting to sing their hearts out in the hope of following in the glittering footsteps of Leon Jackson and Steve Brookstein.

Viewers can look forward to both Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini welcoming newbies Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw to the panel, as they dish out their unique perspectives on the acts taking to the stage.

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Past 'X Factor' contestants

However, the important thing to remember is that it isn’t really about the judges, instead it’s about the acts that we’ll be taking into our hearts as they battle it out for a coveted spot on Simon Cowell’s Syco record label. Some will wow us with their vocals like Leona Lewis, others will win us over with their charisma like One Direction, while a unique few will take a nose-dive in popularity thanks to a string of unhinged Twitter rants like James Arthur.

All this talk of new talent has got us nostalgic about what some of the forgotten contestants from years gone by have been doing with themselves since waving goodbye to ‘The X Factor’.

Come with us as we take a stroll down memory lane and ask: “where are they now?”

'X Factor': Where Are They Now?
Stacey Solomon(01 of20)
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Queen of the Jungle, Iceland Mum and all-round National Treasure, Stacey Solomon has become a celebrity in her own right. She won 'I'm A Celebrity...' and appeared on 'The Jump' earlier this year. (credit:PA)
Rylan Clark(02 of20)
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Hated by Gary Barlow, loved by the public; Rylan went on to win 'Celebrity Big Brother' and now presents 'Big Brother's Bit On The Side'. However, he's probably best known for his blindingly white teeth and incredible crying face. (credit:PA)
Diana Vickers(03 of20)
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The softly-spoken Vickers, who got to the semi-finals in 2008, has expanded away from music, starring in West End shows, releasing a fashion line and apparently working on a Clint Eastwood film. She also had a number one hit with her album 'Songs From The Tainted Cherry Tree'. (credit:PA)
Aiden Grimshaw(04 of20)
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Best known for looking intense and moody, Aiden Grimshaw released his debut album, 'Misty Eye' in 2012, with Digital Spy's Matthew Horton calling it 'unexpectedly brilliant'. A self-titled EP followed in 2013. (credit:PA)
Little Mix(05 of20)
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From four solo artists, to two separate girl groups, to Rhythmix, to Little Mix, the band didn't have the simplest start on 'The X Factor'. However, as the first group to win the competition, Little Mix have become achieved huge success, releasing two hit albums and nabbing the record for highest debut US chart position for a British girl group's debut. (credit:PA)
Eoghan Quigg(06 of20)
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Yes, him! Creator of what was reviewed as "the worst album in the history of recorded sound" by the Guardian's Peter Robinson, which tells you all you need to know about Quigg's career. Last seen with his top off, flexing his new muscles in celeb mags everywhere. (credit:PA)
Ella Henderson(07 of20)
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Despite being pipped to the top spot by James Arthur in 2012, Ella validated her title of 'the most talented performer in the show's history' (courtesy of Dermot O'Leary) with her debut single, Ghost, going straight to number 1 in June 2014. (credit:PA)
JLS(08 of20)
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JLS had a long career after coming second to Alexandra Burke in the 2008 series, however, they decided to call it quits in 2014. During their time as a band, JLS released five Number 1 singles, five albums, perfumes and a 3D movie. Oh and a condom range. (credit:PA)
Andy Abraham(09 of20)
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Offered forth to Europe as our representative for Great British music in 2008 in the Eurovision Song Contest, the former bin man came, er, last. At least he got points. He's also released four albums, so he's ticking along nicely. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Matt Cardle(10 of20)
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Matt Cardle won X Factor in 2011, apparently. You wouldn't know it. After his first successful single, Cardle's second peaked at a lofty 185 in the singles chart and he subsequently released two albums that you've probably never heard of. He's now turned himself into a West End star, and is currently appearing in 'Memphis'. (credit:PA)
Ray Quinn(11 of20)
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Quinn somehow came second behind Leona Lewis, and has taken part in a string of musicals and, of course, pantomimes since appearing on the show in 2006 and won the All-Star series of 'Dancing On Ice' in 2014. (credit:PA)
Katie Waissel(12 of20)
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Katie, Katie, Katie. The girl who possibly set the record for most personal reinventions in the course of three months is now in a band, while working on a debut album. (credit:Getty Images)
Rhydian Roberts(13 of20)
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This is the least scary picture of Rhydian we could find and he stills looks like he's piercing someone's soul with his eyes. Anyhow, Rhydian was probably the most successful gimmick act in X Factor history, and has gone on to appear in musicals, while recording four successful albums. (credit:PA)
Cher Lloyd(14 of20)
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Famed for on The X Factor for her strut, snarl and, erm, swag, Cher's debut single, Swagger Jagger, reached number 1 in the charts, despite receiving mostly negative reviews. She's also achieved success in the US and got married along the way. (credit:Getty Images)
Steve Brookstein(15 of20)
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Cast your mind back to the first series of 'The X Factor', and see if you can remember Steve. He failed spectacularly to make an impact on music and has since claimed Simon Cowell is "killing music". Sour grapes, anyone? (credit:PA)
James Arthur(16 of20)
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After starting his post-X Factor career with a chart-topping single and successful album, things started to go downhill for James in 2013.After writing lyrics which referenced homophobia and terrorism, Twitter spats with comedian Frankie Boyle and a number of Twitter rants, James was (unsurprisingly) dropped from Simon Cowell's label in June 2014. (credit:PA)
Leon Jackson(17 of20)
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Less said, the better. (credit:PA)
Rebecca Ferguson(18 of20)
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Leona Mark II, Rebecca's had a steady, slow-burning career so far, releasing two critically-acclaimed albums: Heaven in 2011 and Freedom in 2013. She released a covers album 'Lady Sings The Blues' earlier this year. (credit:PA)
Chico(19 of20)
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After 'It's Chico Time' and 'It's England Time' (for the 2010 World Cup), surely Chico was destined for worldwide fame and fortune? Where can we find him if we need some more hits? Hosting webcam gaming sessions for Bingocams UK, apparently... (credit:PA)
One Direction(20 of20)
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Never heard of 'em. (credit:PA)