The final set of X Factor 2016 room auditions will be shown tonight, and there's no lack of drama when it comes to the last bunch of contestants hoping to make it big in the music industry.
The X Factor / Credit: ITV
Meet Kirsty Murphy. Hoping to audition in Manchester, she waited around all day, only to be told that she wouldn't be able to be seen by the judges due to time restrictions. Taking it upon herself to make her mark, she made it her mission to get in front of the judges one way or another…
Host Dermot O'Leary commented: "She just appeared from nowhere! In her defence she got told she wasn't going to be able to be seen that day and there was a big sign on the door saying 'Judge's Room, Keep Out', so she didn't break the Da Vinci Code to get in!
"So she got in and for me it's really awkward because I'm with someone else's friends and family and they are going, 'Who's that girl?', so I had to usher them to one side and then this girl's family start cheering her on.
"All-in-all it was a rather eggy situation. Part of me thought, 'Good on you', but then I had to play politics with this other family. I was trying to be peacemaker but it was hard that day."
Judge Sharon Osbourne added: "When she first came in I was a bit frightened actually. She walked in and came right over to the desk and I was thinking, 'Oh my God, alert, alert!' But she was ballsy! It takes a lot to do that."
Explaining herself, contestant Kirsty said: "It was a long day of auditions and I had been there since the morning. It was nearly midnight and one of the team said that unfortunately there was no time to see me today and that they would try and reschedule my audition for one of the London dates. At first I thought that was fine but then I was with my Mum and we saw a door labelled 'Judge's Room' in front of us. Mum asked what I was going to do. I'd already seen the judges do a speech that day about what they wanted to see and I was excited to audition. I had been waiting for years to perform in front of Simon. I had seen him in the other room earlier in the day and I just wanted to do it, to sing and prove myself. I said to my Mum, 'I'm just going to go in there', and at first she was shocked and said, 'No you can't!', but then she switched and said, 'Yes you can, get in!' and she actually pushed me in.
"When Mum opened the door, I couldn't see the judges so thought I should just go for it, it was now or never. I could see they were on the other side of the room with Dermot who was speaking to contestants. Me and Mum were like ninjas and I thought while the security were distracted, this was my chance. I ran round the back of the audition space, through the curtain to where the producers were sat. I could see the judges but I can't remember properly what I said to them. I remember I just broke down crying and kept asking them, 'Please can I sing?' Then I just remember Simon telling me to get on the X. I sang a verse and a chorus but because my backing tracks obviously weren't prepared, I had to do it acapella and with no music to follow, and my nerves and after running, I was a bit pitchy on the chorus. I was also just so shocked with myself that I had done it, I couldn't believe that I'd run in - I was shocked, scared, nervous and excited all in one."
Watch the drama unfold in The X Factor, tonight, September 17, at 8pm on ITV.
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