'I felt the pain within you, and it really touched me': Homeless teenager Hannah Barrett moves The X Factor judging panel to tears with her emotional performance
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It's the show which has propelled the likes of One Direction, Little Mix and Leona Lewis to worldwide super-stardom.
And Saturday night's launch of The X Factor 2013 certainly didn't disappoint when it came to unearthing a wealth of incredible new talent.
One of the most emotional performances of the night came from 17-year-old student Hannah Barrett, who broke down in tears as she spoke to judges Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.
Impressive: One of the most emotional performances of the X Factor's launch night came from 17-year-old student Hannah Barrett, who broke down in tears as she spoke to judges Gary Barlow, Nicole Scherzinger, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh
She said: 'I wanna be the UK's sweetheart. I like the A-levels I'm doing at school, it's OK. I work in Gregg's part-time, but my dream has always been to be a singer.
'My dad passed away a couple of years ago and my dad was my inspiration from a young age with music. My mum is supportive of me but we have a tough relationship.
'Me and my mum don't really get along, eventually I was kicked out and so basically I live in accommodation for young teenagers. I'm happy being there but it's not home.'
Moving: The panel were moved to tears by the homeless teen's performance of Read All About It
Emotions running high: Sharon and Nicole struggled to contain their tears as they heard the talented teen sing
Young talent: Hannah's performance was one of the most emotional of Saturday night's series launch, and impressed all four judges
After moving Sharon and Nicole to tears with her touching rendition of Read All About it, Sharon hugged her warmly, telling her: 'I want you to do something for me. I want you to work on your performance.
'It's tough competition and we want you to get through to the next round. You moved me, I love you. Your dad would be proud of you, you've got old school soul.'
Nicole added: 'I'm speechless, you're gorgeous when you sing. I'm blown away by you. Honey, I believe you. You are going all the way. This is just the beginning for you.'
Tear-jerker: Louis and Gary both battled with their emotions as they listened to the aspiring star's performance
Emotional: Hannah broke down in tears as she told the panel how she had become homeless following the death of her father
Comforting: The other judges looked on as Sharon hugged Hannah across the table after her emotive performance
Gary gushed: 'It's one thing to sing a song but it's another to tell a story through your performance. I felt the pain within you and it really touched me.'
Kicking off proceedings for the night was 17-year-old Luke Friend, who impressed the judging panel with a rendition of Stand By Me at the Cardiff leg of the auditions - but not so much with his personal hygiene.
Discussing his barnet with the judges, Luke joked: 'It's real but it looks fake, I haven't washed it in like nine months. I just want to get out of Devon, I've been gigging there for a while now.'
Talented teen: Luke Friend received four yes votes from the judges - but told the panel he hadn't washed his hair in nine months
Aspiring star: The teenage singer explained he had been gigging around his home county of Devon for some time
Winning four yes votes from the panel, Sharon enthused to the teen: 'I'm crazy about you, you're quite fabulous.'
Gary added: 'I can't wait to see you at the arenas. Great performance.'
Nicole said: 'You are just a little dirty-haired diamond in the rough.'
Also impressing were Alejandro Fernandez, 17, and Tom Mann, 19, a part-time football coach for kids.
Mixed bag: Louis, Sharon, Gary and Nicole saw their fair share of talent, and their fair share of joke acts, throughout Saturday night's launch show
They've got The X Factor! Tom Mann, 19, a part-time football coach for kids and student Alejandro Fernandez, 17, both impressed the panel with their performances
He said: 'I wanna be a role model for the kids, I want to show them you can chase your dream. Also, I'll get ripped if I don't get through.'
Enthusing over his performance, Gary told the teen: 'The potential is all there and I'm quite excited by the prospect of you as a solo artist.'
Justin Bieber impersonator Luke Britnell, 19, received a resounded four yes votes from the panel.
He said: 'I just wanna make a name for myself, I don't wanna spend the rest of my life as a Justin Bieber tribute act.'
Watch out, Bieber! Luke Britnell, 19, was told he was 'too good' to be a Justin Bieber impersonator
Impressive: Luke wowed the judges with his self-penned track, Think Positive
After hearing his self-penned track Think Positive, Louis said: 'You're far too good to be a Justin Bieber impersonator.'
Gary added: 'It was a stroke of fate you coming in here, it was great and your own song was fantastic.'
But not everyone received such acclaim from the panel, with the likes of 19-year-old model J-Star Valentine told by Sharon - who returned to the panel this year to replace Tulisa Contostavlos - that he sang like a 'ghost'.
After performing a bizarre rendition of Hallelujah, complete with shouting and facial expressions, Sharon and Louis positively fell about laughing.
Spooky! Sharon told 19-year-old model J-Star Valentine that he sounded like a 'ghost'
'He could get a job at Sea World': Sharon told Dudley Cowan he sounded like a dolphin
J-Star said: 'I think I could be the next big thing. I'm sure I can win. I want people to talk about me.'
But his dreams were dashed when Sharon said: 'You sang that song like a ghost, it was strange.'
But his dreams were dashed when Sharon said: 'You sang that song like a ghost, it was strange.'
Louis added: 'I've heard a lot of versions of that song, but nothing as strange as that.'
A baffled Nicole stated: 'Were you serious? We're not connecting the dots right now.'
A baffled Nicole stated: 'Were you serious? We're not connecting the dots right now.'
Meanwhile, student Dudley Gowan, 30, was told he sounded like a 'dolphin'.
Sharon said: 'You sing like a dolphin. Have you ever watched Flipper? He could get a job at Sea World.'
Someone's got the giggles: Sharon couldn't stop laughing as she watched some of the more comical acts take to the stage
The next big thing? Not everyone looks set to follow on the same path of worldwide super-stardom as the likes of X Factor alumni One Direction and Leona Lewis
The giggle factor! All four of the judges were falling about laughing at one point in the show
Elsewhere, 'Phil with an F' was told he needed to give his image a rocky new edge after his performance of Robbie Williams' Let Me Entertain You.
Speaking before his audition, he said: 'Sharon is definitely the queen of rock music and I would love to get her on-side. People don't take enough risks in the music industry. I'm living in Maidenhead with my parents, my mum last night made me some cheese sandwiches.'
Sharon told him: 'It's pop music that you do, it's not rock. And you're very clean, you see. Everything is nicely washed and pressed. But the hair is quite fabulous.
Rock idol? 'Phil with an F' was told he needed to give his image a rocky new edge after his performance of Robbie Williams' Let Me Entertain You
Not impressed: 'He's too clean. He needs to stop washing his shirts and get a couple of tattoos on his forehead,' Sharon exclaimed
'He's too clean. He needs to stop washing his shirts and get a couple of tattoos on his forehead.'
Gary added: 'It wasn't rock in any way, shape or form. It's light pop.'
Gary added: 'It wasn't rock in any way, shape or form. It's light pop.'
Louis exclaimed: 'Are we looking at the next big rock star? It's a no.'
Duo Raluca and Christina couldn't even appear to remember the words to their track, with Gary telling them: 'It was like someone was slowly pulling their nails down a blackboard.'
Meanwhile, 19-year-old lifeguard Alex Baldwin was told he sounded 'more like Dracula than Pavarotti.'
Memory loss? Duo Raluca and Christina couldn't even appear to remember the words to their track, with Gary telling them: 'It was like someone was slowly pulling their nails down a blackboard.'
Oh dear! Meanwhile, 19-year-old lifeguard Alex Baldwin was told he sounded 'more like Dracula than Pavarotti'
A number of girls impressed the panel, including 16-year-old student, Siana Schofield.
Gary said: 'You have a very quirky sound and a quirky look.'
Manchester-based student Rielle Carrington, 16, earned four yes votes, with Sharon telling her: 'You've got confidence and a little aura going on around you.'
Prison officer and mother-of-two Sam Bailey, 35, received a standing ovation from the panel after impressing with a rendition of Beyonce's Listen.
Young talent: 16-year-old student Siana Schofield impressed with her 'quirky' voice and look
Working it: Manchester-based student Rielle Carrington, 16, earned four yes votes, with Sharon telling her: 'You've got confidence and a little aura going on around you.'
She said: 'Everything goes away when I sing. I can be someone else completely. This could change my life.'
A virtually speechless Louis exclaimed: 'Where did that voice come from? I wasn't expecting that at all.'
Nicole added: 'You're a prison offficer? That's exactly how that song is meant to be sung. You were singing for your life.'
Gary marvelled: 'Your voice is incredible! Well done and thank you for coming to see us.'
Impressive: Prison officer and mother-of-two Sam Bailey, 35, received a standing ovation from the panel after impressing with a rendition of Beyonce's Listen
Talented: The judges were blown away by Sam's impressive voice as she nervously took to the stage
The wow factor! All four judges were up on their feet after Sam's performance
Special talent: Nicole was particularly moved by the performance
It wasn't all plain-sailing though, with girl duo Silver Roc being split up by the panel, and told to audition as solo artists.
Gary explained: 'This doesn't work as a duo, but you're both very good individually. You can go away from here with four yes votes as solo artists.'
Girl group Euphoria Girls divided the panel with their energetic dance moves, telling the judges before their audition: 'Our aim of the day is to make every single one of those judges smile. We're a cute version of the Pussycat Dolls. We're trying to spread happiness.
Tough choices: It wasn't all plain-sailing though, with girl duo Silver Roc being split up by the panel, and told to audition as solo artists.
'We've all been performing since we were tiny and have wanted to do this our whole lives.'
Nicole exclaimed: 'They're so cute.'
Sharon added: 'I felt like I was watching a recital or end of term display at a dance school. But you are adorable.'
But Gary was less than impressed, telling the energetic quintet: 'Girls, for me today, not good at all.
The moves were wrong, the vocals were wrong. It was like something that arrives at a children's birthday party. You're not up to par. You need to get the vocals up to scratch and then add in the moves.'
Sweet as candy! Girl group Euphoria Girls divided the panel with their energetic dance moves, telling the judges before their audition that their aim was to 'spread happiness'
Working it! Gary was less than impressed, telling the energetic quintet: 'Girls, for me today, not good at all. The moves were wrong, the vocals were wrong'
Much to his dismay, the rest of the panel put the group through, with Gary exclaiming: 'That's like someone's put 10 spoonfuls of sugar in my tea in the morning.'
And of course, Sharon didn't disappoint upon her return to the panel, with Nicole stating: 'Now Sharon is back on the panel, it's about to get a little crazy.'
Louis added: 'She's unpredictable, you never know what she's going to say.'
This year's X Factor sees the format of the first stage of auditions revert to the intimate four-judge line-up, with the second round of auditions taking place in arenas.
She's back! Sharon didn't disappoint upon her return to the panel, and came out with a number of witty one-liners
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2408033/The-X-Factor-2013-Homeless-teenager-Hannah-Barrett-moves-judging-panel-tears-emotional-performance.html#ixzz2ddehyptW
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