Hailing from Essex, Ché Chesterman became a contestant on the 12th series of the X Factor at just 18 years old, having left his job stacking shelves at a supermarket to try and make it as a singer. He has since garnered a significant following as a singer-songwriter, racking up 100k followers on both Facebook and Instagram and regularly playing gigs around the UK and abroad. While Chesterman didn’t win the X Factor, it undoubtedly changed his life, and it all started with that first audition.
Before his audition for the show in 2015, Chesterman claimed he was “very, very nervous”, but when he strode onstage, he looked calm and ready to perform. Introducing himself, he said he wanted to bring some old school soul back into the music industry, taking inspiration from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross. But here’s the first twist – when he said he was going to perform a Sam Smith track, Simon Cowell stopped him in his tracks and asked if he could sing something else.
Chesterman looked surprised but agreed, and instead sang ‘Who You Are’ by Jessie J. Now it was time for the judges to be surprised, as Chesterman’s clear, soulful vocals began to ring out over the audience. By the end of his amazing performance all four judges were looking absolutely stunned, clearly not expecting Chesterman to have such an incredible vocal range or such control over his voice. He subsequently passed the audition, and eventually went on to take third place in the contest.
Another stunning performance from Chesterman’s time on the X Factor was his take on the Simon and Garfunkel track ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, which he sang in the hopes of making it to the final of the competition. His beautiful vibrato-soaked vocals and the gradually increasing emotional intensity of his performance meant that he did make it through to the final, with judge Nick Grimshaw going so far as to stand up to applaud Chesterman’s performance once he had finished.
Chesterman might not have won the X Factor, but coming third is no mean feat, and he certainly changed his life by deciding to go on the show. It is both heartening and uplifting to see that he is now singing professionally, and it’s incredible to see how far he has come from his X Factor audition back in 2015 when he was just 18 years old.
If you’re a fan of soulful music, you won’t want to miss the incredible talent of Ché Chesterman. An Essex native with a clear, powerful voice, Chesterman brings his own unique style to his performances. Informally known as the third place contestant from X-Factor’s 12th series, his music continues to surprise and delight his steadily growing fanbase. Follow him on Instagram for the latest updates and watch this rising star further his music career.