Fans get ready to cheer for Irish X Factor hopeful
The 18-year-old, who has been compared to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey because of her soulful voice, flew to Manchester in June for the open auditions.
Melanie was tight-lipped when asked how well she got on in the auditions but did admit yesterday: “I was very pleased with my performance, I did well.”
The internet is alive with rumours she has made it to the boot camp stage — for the second time. In 2008 when she was just 14 years old when she made it to boot camp where Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole fought over whether she was ready for success. She did not get put through to the next stage on that occasion.
A close family friend said Melanie has waited until now to try again because she wanted to be ready.
“She didn’t go straight back the following year because she didn’t think she was mature enough and she wanted to feel emotionally mature enough. She knows it is a hard business,” said the friend.
Melanie also wanted to develop her own style of singing and while she is flattered by the comparisons to other chart toppers she hopes her voice “has also matured and she thinks it sounds more soulful now”, the friend added.
Her look has also matured and she has transformed from a young teen with braces to a stunning looking young woman with long blonde hair and a captivating voice to match.!
The friend confirmed that Melanie and her mum, Clare, remain tight-lipped on exactly how far she has got in the competition, but rumours are rife in the Whitehall area of Dublin, where they live, that the family has been forced to sign a contract and say nothing to the press.
Yesterday, her mum would only smile and say: “I am very proud of her.”
She politely declined to say any more, except that she would be watching the show, which starts its new season tonight, at her Dublin home.
Also watching will be Melanie’s step-father Ger and her sister Hazel, 25.
Melanie is a Leaving Certificate student at Mount Temple school in Dublin, but may have to postpone her studies if her singing dream comes true.
The show returns at 8pm on TV3 tonight.
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