A former X Factor star could not be more unrecognisable as he sports a stylish new look, 15 years on from his talent show stint.
While the ITV series might now feel like a distant memory, nostalgia for the singing competition that led to the breakthroughs of stars including Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis, and JLS is still rife.
One huge star who was tipped for stardom early on was Aiden Grimshaw, whom head judge Simon Cowell declared ‘a pop star’ in his very first audition in 2010.
The music mogul even told Aiden, who was just 18 at the time, that he was ‘one of the best singers’ they’d come across in Manchester thus far, and he was one to beat in the boys’ category.
Blowing the judges away with his quirky stage presence and powerful vocals, Aiden treated the crowd to his rendition of Kanye West’s Gold Digger.
Louis Walsh hailed him as a ‘breath of fresh air’, and Nicole Scherzinger said she ‘loved’ his voice as it had ‘a lot of soul’.
Aiden enjoyed success after success on the show, and he was sent through to the live shows by mentor Dannii Minogue, along with Paije Richardson, Nicolo Festa, and eventual winner Matt Cardle.
Meanwhile, Aiden, who competed in the same series as Rebecca Ferguson, One Direction, Cher Lloyd, and Katie Waissell, finished in ninth place.
In the years since The X Factor, the 33-year-old musician has continued to grow his career, and fans of his vocal talents will be pleased to hear he’s still singing.
Aiden now boasts 19,000 followers on Instagram and has released songs under his own name and the moniker Butterjack.
One of his most recent posts is a video of him covering Sia’s Breathe Me, to which he also plays guitar.
He regularly shares covers online, having belted out versions of Fallin’ by Alicia Keys, Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong, and Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift.
Aiden’s own tunes include tracks such as I Couldn’t Love You Anymore, Better Off, and Pretender.
As for his image, you’d be forgiven for not recognising Aiden if he were to pass you in the street.
Of course, since he’s no longer a teenager, the musician is bound to look different, but fans have been blown away by his dramatic transformation since rising to stardom.
In his recent social media posts, Aiden boasts a beard, which is a contrast to the clean-shaven look he sported on the programme.
He also now has a prominent moustache and has grown his brown locks longer, as they flop around his forehead.
Commenting under some of his recent uploads, Aiden’s followers have inundated him with compliments.
‘Still such a beautiful voice after all these years 🖤’, praised natalielouise__ on Instagram.
Superfan dunneedoom88 said: ‘Go, Aiden! I’ve been here supporting you from the beginning. Your first album is a pure gem and I keep rivisiting it every now and then. Chills 🔥. Keep going on!’
‘Honestly you’re still my biggest teenage-hood crush 🤣🔥’, confessed onlycleopatra.
After being eliminated from The X Factor in week 6, Aiden signed with RCA Records and released his debut single, Is This Love, in 2012, which charted at number 35.
His debut album, Misty Eye, placed at number 19, which his fans are clearly still loving to this day.
After his later releases failed to chart, he spent some time releasing music under a stage name, Aiden finally returned to what felt right.
Writing on social media this month, he shared: ‘March 2025. I’ve been writing songs that feel like me.
‘Today I went to a studio and sang them to someone who patiently tried to take photos for me. ‘I had a great time.’
He currently has over 2,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, with his first single amassing 541,000 streams.
This article was first published on November 11, 2024.
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