Who is The X Factor 2018 contestant Ricky John?
Ricky John had The X Factor judges in tears during his audition
With The X Factor fast approaching the Six Chair challenge stage, the competition is getting serious.
This year has seen a serious array of talent grace the infamous stage in front of music mogul Simon Cowell and new judges Robbie Williams, Ayda Field and Louis Tomlinson.
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One hopeful which impressed all four judges during his stellar audition was Ricky John, with the former carpenter making all four judges get to their feet with his rendition of A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke.
Will he be able to stand out against the rest of the Overs category and impress mentor Ayda?
Here’s everything you need to know about Ricky John.
Who is Ricky John?
As X Factor fans will remember, 36-year-old Ricky moved both the judges and audiences at home as he detailed how his family changed his life.
Speaking candidly to the judges, he said, “Without going into it too much, I was homeless for eight years, so I really needed a change to come.
“Life before I met my partner wasn’t great. When I grew up, I was on my own from abut 16. Now I’ve met my Alisha, we just hit it off. We had great chemistry. She’s given me my two beautiful children. She’s given me my smile back.
“They have just change my life to this point that I never thought I’d see anything so beautiful. [The X Factor] is giving us this opportunity that something can be good in our lives. We could actually have something.”
But despite telling judges that he has never tried out for this sort of contest before, The X Factor is not Ricky’s first bid to become a pop star.
He has previously performed under the name Rumour Castro, with a song on YouTube called The War is Over. Here’s a clip.
The slick R&B sounds are miles apart from the gravelly-voiced soul singer we saw on The X Factor.
Speaking in an interview posted on YouTube, (ironically called Britain’s Got Reggae) Ricky, speaking as Rumour, explained, “Basically I’m starting off as a solo artist. I produce my own beats and stuff like that. I’ve got a James Blake, the Weeknd, that sort of feel.
“I’m working on an EP called Echoes which will be out later this year on Facebook. I’ve been doing some chats on BBC Radio One, One Xtra, Rinse FM.”
Will Ricky finally crack the UK and win himself a place on The X Factor live finals?
Key facts: Ricky John
Age: 36
Lives: South-West London
Occupation: Carpenter
Twitter: @MrRickyJohn
Facebook: Rumour.Castro
The X Factor continues Saturday at 8:35pm on ITV
