Jahméne Douglas looked like the most unlikely person in the world to be walking onstage and blowing the X Factor judges away when he auditioned for the competition back in 2011. He was clearly anxious before his performance, laughing nervously when speaking to presenter Dermot O’Leary about his supermarket job and saying how people who know him always refer to him as “the biggest worrier”. He also admitted to judge Gary Barlow that he had never performed in front of such a big audience before.
When Douglas began singing, however, it was as though all his nerves melted away, giving an effortless performance of Etta James’ version of the jazzy, soulful track ‘At Last’. Members of the audience, who had at first clearly thought that Douglas was not going to be very good, looked visibly shocked as he started to sing, opening with a pitch-perfect high note as an introduction before showcasing the full extent of his talent by embellishing the song’s melodies with incredible vocal flourishes.
Douglas’ audition has since been watched by over 50 million people, and it was no surprise when he received a ‘yes’ from all four judges, putting him through to the next round of the competition. Nicole Scherzinger seemed particularly impressed, remarking that the industry needed more singers like him, while Gary Barlow noted that he had never seen a vocal performance like it in his life. Douglas looked overjoyed with the feedback, and his mum was also visibly emotional backstage.
Regular X Factor viewers will know that Douglas went on to take second place in the competition, losing out to singer-songwriter James Arthur. His performance for the competition’s final was a spine-tingling, gospel-infused rendition of The Beatles track ‘Let It Be’, which saw Douglas deliver some powerful, heartfelt ad-libs with a full choir as vocal backing. It might not have won Douglas the competition, but it remains one of the most legendary performances in X Factor history.
Clearly a hugely talented performer with vocal talents well beyond his years, Douglas captured the hearts of X Factor viewers with his cute demeanour and modest reactions to his much-deserved praise from the judges. After the series, he signed a record deal with Sony Music, and although his most recent album (‘Unfathomable Phantasmagoria’) was released in 2016, he remains active as a singer and songwriter.
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