A Quigg Rise To Fame

Eoghan Quigg beat nearly 200,000 hopefuls who auditioned for 'The X Factor' in 2008 to become one of the ITV reality show's 12 finalists. He made a huge impression on teenagers and grandmothers alike on the show and has since embarked on a solo career - releasing his first album this week (06.04.09) and announced as a support act on legendary boyband Boyzone's forthcoming UK tour.

From his first appearance on 'The X Factor', the teenager from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland was clearly one of the most original personalities the series had ever seen.

The show's judges - Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole - were in a particularly stormy mood on the day Eoghan shyly walked into his audition. His version of Michael Buble's 'Home' was stopped a few bars in, but his backup song - a moving version of 'Tears In Heaven' by Eric Clapton - mustered a smile from the show's head honcho, Simon Cowell.

After Eoghan's performance Simon said: "Good voice, look good, chicks are going to love you, mums are going to love you."

After those words he was unanimously voted through to the next stage in the contest. Eoghan appeared to breeze his way through the next round - in no small part down to his affable nature and hints of cheeky charm, something fellow contestant Diane Vickers certainly appeared to be noticing - where the number of acts was whittled from 150 to 24.

From here Eoghan sung his way into the final six vying for three available places in the boys aged 14-24 category of the competition.

Describing his dreams at this stage, Eoghan said: "I just wake up in the morning and I want to sing, it doesn't compare to anything else - it's my life."

Held at his mentor Simon Cowell's house in Barbados, Eoghan's voice and attitude seriously impressed Simon and he was selected, alongside singers Scott Bruton and Austin Drage, for the show's weekly televised final.

While Austin and Scott quickly fell by the wayside in the second and third weeks of the final, there was a certain charisma in Eoghan which sealed his place in the publics' hearts. His performance of John Lennon's 'Imagine' in the first week was met with high praise from the judges and the following week's renditions of 'Ben' by Michael Jackson and Nat King Cole's 'L.O.V.E' established his seemingly unstoppable rise.

In the next few weeks Eoghan breezed through, with high points including 'Never Forget' by Take That and High School Musical number 'We're in This Together'. He was seen by many, not least Simon, as the boy to beat ahead of the show's final.

Off camera Eoghan also found himself a fledgling tabloid star as a result of his rumoured relationship with Diane, whom he gave an emotional goodbye to as she was voted off in the show's ninth week - leaving him to face the grand final alone.

Speaking ahead of the last show, Simon Cowell set the agenda, saying: "I've always backed Eoghan and I've always said he's the one to beat. I'm going to stick with my boy."

Eoghan himself was much more modest, insisting: I'm not nervous for the final singing wise, but the results are always going to be nervous. On the night it's down to who performs the best."

In one of the closest finales of the show's five-year history Eoghan eventually came third to R'n'B group JLS, who were runners up, with Alexandra Burke announced overall winner. On the show he reprised 'We're in This Together' and was joined on stage by fellow Irishmen Boyzone to perform their hit 'Picture of You'.

Although he suffered a crushing defeat, Eoghan never let it set him back, or appeared bitter or annoyed. For a 16-year-old he coped with the enormous pressure and performed to the highest standard under the spotlights.

After taking a break over Christmas 2008, Eoghan took to the road as part of the 'X Factor' tour, regularly appearing in front of 10,000 people, and being mobbed by fans at every venue.

Despite all the show has done for him Eoghan isn't trying to ride on its coattails and is now making a break to forge his name as a solo artist and become established in his own right.

With a strong team backing him, Eoghan has recorded his first album, which features his favourite covers - including some he performed on 'The X Factor' - as well as a new sound, and possible hint to his future musical aspirations in '28,000 Friends'.

Penned by former Busted singer James Bourne, the song is a sly dissection of how we communicate in the modern word and a tongue in cheek nod to internet popularity. Musically it's a firey, punky-youthful pop punch, which sees Eoghan sounding more comfortable with his sound than possibly ever before.

On the day of his self-titled debut album's release, BANG Showbiz caught up with Eoghan to find out what fans can expect from his new record, how he enjoyed his time on tour and how much he's looking forward to seeing his old friends in Boyzone again.

Q: Eoghan what are you doing to celebrate the release of your album?

A: I'm going to have a mini party to celebrate the album launch.

Q: How are you coping with the fame? Is it weird seeing your face on the side of buses and on posters?

A: It's really weird walking into a shop and just seeing your face on a CD and you're just like wow! This is surreal. But I'm really enjoying it and this is my chance to make the most of it.

Q: What's been the initial reaction to the album and, in particular, the lead song '28,000 Friends'?

A: The reaction has been amazing, the people asking me about it - the girls and everything - it's unbelievable. So far so good.

Q: What about the reception to the song though?

A: It's more of a pop rock sound, it's by James from Busted who saw me do 'Year 3000' on the show and gave me this new song and I was happy to take it on and try it out.

It's a really weird song, but it's got a cool meaning to it, its' young and its fun and its something that we don't have in the charts at the minute.

Q: How did 'The X Factor' tour go?

A: I really, really enjoyed the tour, there were loads of people outside of every venue and some people followed us around - they were literally at every venue.

I'm always really nice to everyone, they're your fans, you have to be nice to them. I don't know how they do it, how they get the money to follow me everywhere it's really weird but they're really cool and they are the ones that support me the most.

Signature were on tour with us - the group from 'Britain's Got Talent' - and one of the guys out of snored really bad all the time and he fell asleep every 10 minutes. He could sleep anywhere, wherever he wanted. That kept me awake most of the time on the bus. But he's a really cool lad though. Everyone is on the same bus, it's pretty cool, we sleep, play some cards hang out, watch movies on the laptop, it's really cool.

Q: What are you looking to do?

A: I'm really looking forward to the chance to write and to do my own songs, I want to become Eoghan Quigg, not Eoghan from 'The X Factor' and you know hopefully, I'll get recognised more and get out there.

Q: Will you sing with Boyzone on the next tour?

A: I don't know if I'll sing with them, I'm hoping to but I can't say. We've all become really good friends since 'The X Factor' and I've performed a few times with the boys. The best advice I've had from them is just to keep my feet on the ground and to be myself. They've been like that and they're very successful, so that's cool.

Q: Who do you most look up to in the music world?

A: One of my idols is Robbie Williams. He's such an amazing performer and I've admired him for a long time like. There's nobody else really at the minute, Robbie's my all time favourite.

Q: What about social networking, do you get involved with a lot of those websites?

A: I'm on every one of the sites, and I'm mainly on Twitter, Bebo the most. I know the song '28,000 Friends' is about all the social networking sites, we all use them but we have all these people who aren't really our friends and we don't really know. It's got a really weird meaning to it, and we don't have this sort of thing in the charts right now. In real life I only have about four best mates, the same ones I've always grown up with.

Q: So - and I have to ask - what is the deal with you filling your jeans with that Irish flag?

A: We did a live show in Dublin and my pocket wasn't big enough, so I just stuffed it down the front of my jeans, then I pulled it out. I admit that's probably not the best place to have kept it. If my pocket was bigger I would have put it in there, but I really should buy some baggier jeans to fit it in.

Q: What sort of songs do you write?

A: Anything really, if something comes into my head I'll write about it. I write lyrics. I've not worked with any songwriters or anything yet. It's just me with a guitar and just sort of picking up stuff and seeing what happens.

I don't really use the guitar, because I don't really play that much, I can just play a few chords and stuff, but you know in summer I'll definitely learn the rest of it and engage in doing my own thing.

I want to get better at playing guitar and writing my own tunes.

I just write about whatever comes into my head and if I have a problem or if there's something bothering me then that would probably be the reason I'm playing.

Q: What about girls?

A: It's possible. I've never yet composed a love song for anyone yet [laughs] but we'll see what happens... maybe!

Q: What's it like being young as you are and having all these girls come onto you?

A: The female attention doesn't bother me. Its every teenage boys dream to have loads of girls after him - I'm just lucky it's happening to me.

Q: Are you single?

A: I'm just single pringle at the moment, it's good.

Q: What's the most outrageous thing a girl's done in order to meet you?

A: Some girls have pulled some fake crying in order to meet me, but nothing too psycho yet. We get girls waiting outside the hotels. I've not had anyone actually break into my room yet thankfully. You have to be nice to everyone and sign autographs for them and stuff. When they're not screaming, that's when you need to worry.

Q: Do you find it hard to be nice to people all the time?

A: It is hard, you know, if someone is eating or something, and you're there, I'll be like 'I'm eating, I'll definitely give it to you after.' I always sign for everyone.

Q: Would you do more reality TV?

A: At the moment no, but in a few years we'll see. I've been on stage before, that's nothing new to me, but maybe in 10 years time, 12 years time. I just want to concentrate on the album

We're looking for a number one album in the UK and Ireland.

I'll have a big party for my family and friends.

Q: Are you away from home a lot?

A: I'm in London more than I am in Ireland. It's hard to do, but you have to make sacrifices, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I don't have any fears about making it, obviously someone like previous 'X Factor' winner Leona Lewis had loads of help from people to make it, but I'm doing it myself, and my own way and if it pays off it pays off. I'm putting all the work I can into it.

Q: What's your favourite track on the new album?

A: My top track on the album is '28,000 friends', we just want to release the album and see how sales go.

Eoghan's self-titled debut album is available now, and he can be seen supporting Boyzone on their UK tour between May 24 and June 23.

By Andy Tillett.

Eoghan Quigg beat nearly 200,000 hopefuls who auditioned for 'The X Factor' in 2008 to become one of the ITV reality show's 12 finalists. He made a huge impression on teenagers and grandmothers alike on the show and has since embarked on a solo career - releasing his first album this week (06.04.09) and announced as a support act on legendary boyband Boyzone's forthcoming UK tour.

From his first appearance on 'The X Factor', the teenager from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland was clearly one of the most original personalities the series had ever seen.

The show's judges - Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole - were in a particularly stormy mood on the day Eoghan shyly walked into his audition. His version of Michael Buble's 'Home' was stopped a few bars in, but his backup song - a moving version of 'Tears In Heaven' by Eric Clapton - mustered a smile from the show's head honcho, Simon Cowell.

After Eoghan's performance Simon said: "Good voice, look good, chicks are going to love you, mums are going to love you."

After those words he was unanimously voted through to the next stage in the contest. Eoghan appeared to breeze his way through the next round - in no small part down to his affable nature and hints of cheeky charm, something fellow contestant Diane Vickers certainly appeared to be noticing - where the number of acts was whittled from 150 to 24.

From here Eoghan sung his way into the final six vying for three available places in the boys aged 14-24 category of the competition.

Describing his dreams at this stage, Eoghan said: "I just wake up in the morning and I want to sing, it doesn't compare to anything else - it's my life."

Held at his mentor Simon Cowell's house in Barbados, Eoghan's voice and attitude seriously impressed Simon and he was selected, alongside singers Scott Bruton and Austin Drage, for the show's weekly televised final.

While Austin and Scott quickly fell by the wayside in the second and third weeks of the final, there was a certain charisma in Eoghan which sealed his place in the publics' hearts. His performance of John Lennon's 'Imagine' in the first week was met with high praise from the judges and the following week's renditions of 'Ben' by Michael Jackson and Nat King Cole's 'L.O.V.E' established his seemingly unstoppable rise.

In the next few weeks Eoghan breezed through, with high points including 'Never Forget' by Take That and High School Musical number 'We're in This Together'. He was seen by many, not least Simon, as the boy to beat ahead of the show's final.

Off camera Eoghan also found himself a fledgling tabloid star as a result of his rumoured relationship with Diane, whom he gave an emotional goodbye to as she was voted off in the show's ninth week - leaving him to face the grand final alone.

Speaking ahead of the last show, Simon Cowell set the agenda, saying: "I've always backed Eoghan and I've always said he's the one to beat. I'm going to stick with my boy."

Eoghan himself was much more modest, insisting: I'm not nervous for the final singing wise, but the results are always going to be nervous. On the night it's down to who performs the best."

In one of the closest finales of the show's five-year history Eoghan eventually came third to R'n'B group JLS, who were runners up, with Alexandra Burke announced overall winner. On the show he reprised 'We're in This Together' and was joined on stage by fellow Irishmen Boyzone to perform their hit 'Picture of You'.

Although he suffered a crushing defeat, Eoghan never let it set him back, or appeared bitter or annoyed. For a 16-year-old he coped with the enormous pressure and performed to the highest standard under the spotlights.

After taking a break over Christmas 2008, Eoghan took to the road as part of the 'X Factor' tour, regularly appearing in front of 10,000 people, and being mobbed by fans at every venue.

Despite all the show has done for him Eoghan isn't trying to ride on its coattails and is now making a break to forge his name as a solo artist and become established in his own right.

With a strong team backing him, Eoghan has recorded his first album, which features his favourite covers - including some he performed on 'The X Factor' - as well as a new sound, and possible hint to his future musical aspirations in '28,000 Friends'.

Penned by former Busted singer James Bourne, the song is a sly dissection of how we communicate in the modern word and a tongue in cheek nod to internet popularity. Musically it's a firey, punky-youthful pop punch, which sees Eoghan sounding more comfortable with his sound than possibly ever before.

On the day of his self-titled debut album's release, BANG Showbiz caught up with Eoghan to find out what fans can expect from his new record, how he enjoyed his time on tour and how much he's looking forward to seeing his old friends in Boyzone again.

Q: Eoghan what are you doing to celebrate the release of your album?

A: I'm going to have a mini party to celebrate the album launch.

Q: How are you coping with the fame? Is it weird seeing your face on the side of buses and on posters?

A: It's really weird walking into a shop and just seeing your face on a CD and you're just like wow! This is surreal. But I'm really enjoying it and this is my chance to make the most of it.

Q: What's been the initial reaction to the album and, in particular, the lead song '28,000 Friends'?

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