Scott James' Boyle Treatment

29 September 2009

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Susan Boyle ruined Scott James' chances of success on 'The X Factor'.

The 22-year-old Asperger's syndrome sufferer missed out on a chance of progressing beyond the boot camp stage of the talent contest this week after forgetting his words.

Now those close to him believe show bosses were worried he wouldn't be able to handle the pressure after seeing Susan hospitalised with the pressure of becoming a worldwide sensation on 'Britain's Got Talent'.

Scott's singing coach Linzi Hunter said: "It might have been different if he'd come along before Susan. I think they were worried about how he'd cope with live shows - but his future still looks good."

They put us in a small room - an area packed full of screaming shouting, laughing, singing people and I couldn't get out so I had a panic attack, which caused them to pull me out of the room and straight onto the stage.

However, Scott said it would have been "stupid" for the judges to put him through following the backlash over Susan's treatment - but admitted he forgot his lines to Faith Hill's 'There You'll Be' after suffering a panic attack immediately before he went on stage.

Saying he "doesn't work well in groups", Scott - who didn't leave the house for seven years until shortly before auditioning for the show - added: "It went fantastically well in my rehearsal with Linzi, my vocal coach, but then when we were heading into Hammersmith Apollo, on the night, it was raining and they wanted to get us out of the rain so we didn't look like drowned rats.

"They put us in a small room - an area packed full of screaming shouting, laughing, singing people and I couldn't get out so I had a panic attack, which caused them to pull me out of the room and straight onto the stage.

"Going on stage with a panic attack caused me to completely fluff the audition."

Scott has now been chosen to sing a song currently being penned by an Australian songwriter to raise the profile of The Autistic Society and insists he has no regrets about the show.

He told the Evening Gazette newspaper: "At the end of the day, the show has given me lots of confidence - and I feel like a celebrity."