X Factor US Contestants Then And Now

Melanie Amaro (Winner, Season 1) - THEN

Image source: American Profile

Can you believe that Melanie Amaro was originally turned away at Judges’ Houses by  Simon Cowell during The X Factor's first season. Thankfully he had a change of heart and she was reinstated. After polling first in four of the eight live public votes, Melanie was crowned the winner.

Melanie Amaro - NOW

Image source: Hollywood Live

Once Melanie Amaro became victorious, she released a number of promotional singles.  Surprisingly, they all failed to make the Billboard Hot 100. After Simon Cowell and the other judges thought she had such star quality, even her album "Truly" never got off the ground.

Josh Krajcik (2nd, Season 1) - THEN

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Josh Krajcik actually began performing in front of a live audiences when he was still a teenager. He admitted to lying about his age so he could perform at gigs in bars around Ohio!  This would explain the confidence of the man during his X Factor audition and live shows. Josh finished second in The X Factor's first season.

Josh Krajcik - NOW

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After years of performing solo, Josh Krajcik formed a band (the Josh Krajcik Band) and they were moderately successful. They toured extensively and released albums over the next decade. Their latest album was released in 2021 and Josh has also made a few television appearances.

Chris Rene (3rd, Season 1)

Image source: popCrushChris Rene auditioned for the first season of The X Factor, singing an original composition "Young Homie." L A Reid was his mentor and he finished third overall in the competition, behind winner Melanie Amaro and runner up Josh Krajcik. Many had tipped him to win the show outright.

Chris Rene - NOW

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Chris Rene was signed to Sony BMG after making the first season’s finale and his debut EP entitled "I’m Right Here" charted at 55 in the US although it did make the Top 10 in New Zealand.  The single "Young Homie" reached number 1 in the New Zealand charts. Chris was notorious for alienating his fanbase, saying he wasn't interested in hearing their problems.

Astro (7th, Season 1) - THEN

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Brian Bradley (Astro's real name) sang an original song "Stop Looking At My Momz" at his first audition of The X Factor. It was a risk he was prepared to take and he impressed the judges, in particular Paula Abdul. The singer couldn't hide his disappointment when he went out in 7th place on the live shows

Astro - NOW

Image source: Famous People Today

The rapper Astro, born Brian Bradley, starred as Dash Hosney in Fox's teen drama "The Red Band Society" in 2014 and he played Calvin Walker in the 2019 Netflix sci-fi movie "See You Yesterday." He dropped out of a big role on "Euphoria" as he felt uncomfortable in scenes that hinted at homosexual experimentation.

Simone Battle (Season 1) - THEN

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Simone Battle was one of The X Factor's stand out stars. She impressed the judges with a soul rendition of La Roux's "Bulletproof" mixed with The Pussycat Dolls' "When I Grow Up."  Simone was mentored by Simon Cowell on the 2011 series and he said, "What I like about you is that you really are fearless."

Simone Battle - NOW

Image source: TMZ

After the show, Simone Battle was on the radar of talent manager Robin Antin. He wanted her to join a new girl group called G.R.L. and she agreed. They had a Top Ten UK hit with "Wild Wild Love" and sang the mega chart topper "Ugly Heart." Shockingly, however on September 5, 2014, Simone was found dead in her apartment after sadly taking her own life.

Tate Stevens – (Winner, Season 2) - THEN

Image source: Taste of Country

Tate Stevens, an American country singer, auditioned for season 2 of The X Factor and made it all the way to the final.  He was mentored by L.A. Reid and was in the Over 25's category. He was crowned the winner, narrowly beating Carly Rose Sonnenclar, who was mentored by Britney Spears.

Tate Stevens - NOW

Image source: PurePeople

With label bosses having learned from the mistakes they made with Melanie Amaro, Tate Stevens' album was released just months after he won season 2 of The X Factor. The album bubbled on the outskirts of the Billboard Top 20 and Stevens was then dropped by label RCA. All this happened before the next season of the talent show had started.

Carly Rose Sonenclar (2nd, Season 2) - THEN

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If you were an avid watcher of the second season of The X Factor, you can't help but have loved the powerhouse vocals of Carly Rose Sonenclar. She wowed both the judges and the audience as she made her way right to the final but got pipped to the post by Tate Stevens.

Carly Rose Sonenclar - NOW

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Things seems to have gone quiet for runner up Carly Rose Sonenclar after she became a breakout star under Britney Spears’ mentorship. Carly signed to Syco Music and Columbia Records in 2013 and debuted some original songs soon afterwards but no sign of an album.  She did appear in "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" a couple of years ago.

Fifth Harmony (3rd, Season 2) - THEN

Image source: The Hollywood Reporter

The girls, all originally solo performers during their first audition, were put together by the judges and viewers were given the opportunity of coming up with a band name. Fifth Harmony was born and everyone expected them to win the show. They placed third but that was just the start of their story.

Fifth Harmony - NOW

Image source: US Weekly

This girl group became a massive success after coming third  on season 2 of The X Factor. They scored Platinum-certified albums with "Reflection" in 2015 and "7/27" in 2016. The group are on a hiatus but their solo careers have skyrocketed. Camila Cabello and Normani are both hot property at the moment.

CeCe Frey (6th, Season 2) - THEN

Image source: Rolling Stone

CeCe Frey auditioned for The X Factor in Kansas City, Missouri. Her first audition song was "Unchained Melody"( by The Righteous Brothers) and it disappointed Demi Lovato, who stopped her mid-way through it.  L.A. Reid suggested a different song. Cece got through to week 6.

CeCe Frey - NOW

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Since the show, CeCe continued working on her music and keeps her fans up to date on Twitter. She sang cover songs on YouTube and released her first single independently in October 2014. It was called "Dead 2 Me" with the song's music video premiering on her YouTube channel.

Paige Thomas (8th, Season 2) - THEN

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Before trying out for the show, Paige Thomas was a nursing student and she had a 5 year old daughter called Jade. She had previously tried out for American Idol, season 10, but unfortunately did not make it past the final 90. Not one to give up, she decided to audition for The X Factor.

Paige Thomas - NOW

Image source: Twitter

Despite the show portraying them as rivals, Paige Thomas and fellow contestant CeCe Frey were friends during and after the show! The rivalry was wrongly created because both girls sang Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Paige has continued to sing, releasing music and being vocal about her ADHD condition.

Freddie Combs (Season 2) - THEN

Image source: NewsweekFreddie Combs became an absolute fan favourite star on The X-Factor in 2012, impressing the whole panel of judges including Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid. Britney Spears was a guest judge during season 2 for Freddie's audition and described his voice as "shockingly amazing."

Freddie Combs - NOW

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At the time of The X Factor, Freddie weighed over 540 lbs and it is thought that the judges agreed to "back him" if he "promised to get healthy, lose weight and get out of his wheelchair". Freddie lost over 140 lbs as the first live show aired, inspiring many people.  Sadly, he lost his life aged 49.

Emblem 3 (4th, Season 3) - THEN

Image source: Digital Spy

Simon Cowell was really desperate for this trio to take off and they do did pretty well, polling highly in the phone votes right through the Live Shows. However, a semi final slip up where they didn't meet expectations and under performed, saw them going home early, taking 4th place.

Emblem 3 - NOW

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Since the heady days of The X Factor, Emblem 3 got a great gig by opening for Selena Gomez on her tour and gaining even more popularity with fans.  They even got themselves a Top 10 album in the US. Some time last year, band member Drew Chadwick decided to leave the group.

Alex & Sierra (Winners, Season 3) - THEN

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After scoring a number of iTunes hits with recordings of their Live Show performances, no one was surprised when this stunning duo ended up winning the third and final season of The X Factor. It emerged that Alex and Sierra had topped the phone vote every week without fail!

Alex & Sierra - NOW

Image source: Entertainment Today

After signing to both Syco and Columbia, Alex and Sierra released their debut album which peaked at number 8. Their single "Scarecrow" didn't even break though the Billboard Hot 100. Despite things not working out as they would have hoped, Australia appears to have taken these two into their hearts.

Jeff Gutt (2nd, Season 3) - THEN

Image source; Consequence.net

Jeff Gutt has appeared in two seasons of The X Factor. He was in season 2 in 2012 with a heartfelt rendition of "Hallelujah" but was eliminated in the Boot Camp episode. He returned to  the show in season 3, finishing second. Fox Weekly described him as one of the most influential contestants of all time.

Jeff Gutt - NOW

Image source: Wikipedia

In 2017, the alt-rock singer Jeff Gutt became the new lead singer of grunge rock band Stone Temple Pilots. They wanted someone who could do their old songs justice and help them carve out a different path forward, as well as contributing towards the writing and production.

Lillie McCloud (8th, Season 3) - THEN

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Stunning diva Lillie McCloud was the stand out among all of the auditions. Her rendition of “Alabaster Box” was unbelievable as was her performance with “This Woman’s Work." Right after “Summertime,” she drastically went home in eighth place.

Lillie McCloud - NOW

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A year after being booted out of The X Factor, Lillie McCloud signed with the Spectra Music Group, releasing a single entitled "What About The Beautiful Children." Her album, "Red Apples" was released in May 2015 and debuted at number 16 on the UK Soul Chart.