Boob jobs, six stone weight loss and singer whose surgeries went ‘too far’ – The X Factor’s biggest transformations
THE 15 series of The X Factor saw many future stars grace the stage as fresh-faced hopefuls.
Several years on, many of the contestants who found fame on the ITV talent show look wildly different to the youthful artists they were at auditions.
This week, Janet Devlin astonished fans by unveiling a drastic change in her looks in her newest music video.
The singer, who was just 16 when she entered The X Factor in 2011, is almost unrecognisable in the racy footage for her country track Emotional Rodeo.
But she is not the only one who has stunned fans with drastic makeovers since appearing on the show.
Some have dropped incredible amounts of weight, while others have ditched their old style for a new slick look or had surgeries to further their careers.
Here we look at the most dramatic transformations from the X Factor stable.
Janet Devlin
Janet Devlin won the hearts of the British public when she appeared in The X Factor’s eighth series as a teenager but her new video left no doubt she’s all grown up.
Janet, now 29, flaunted her sexy side in the video for her single Emotional Rodeo where she dons skin tight, knee high red latex boots and rides a mechanical bull.
Long gone are her trademark red tresses – the Irish songstress now rocks long blonde waves and has definitely sexed up her image since her audition.
Her new single Emotional Rodeo is country inspired and she as also revealed it is inspired to her diagnosis of borderline personality disorder.
In an interview with Irish Post, Janet said: “My borderline personality disorder makes me love hard, but the downside is a huge fear of abandonment – it’s a rollercoaster.”
Cher Lloyd
At just 16 years old, Cher Lloyd shot to fame when she appeared on the reality show in 2010.
Her dramatic look was certainly a head turner with messy hairstyles and dramatic eye makeup.
The teenaged Cher had a rough time on The X Factor as her bolshy attitude earned her the moniker of the ‘most hated teen’ in Britain.
“I was a beast! Everyone hated me,” she told Fabulous magazine in 2012.
“I was young and foolish. Part of me was trying to show I was strong enough to do it and then I think it all got too much for me.”
These days, the 30-year-old singer has a much more subdued look.
The married Mum-of-two has ditched the severe dark hair for a honey coloured blonde and her eye makeup is subtle.
She occasionally posts snippets of her idyllic life with her husband Craig Monk and two daughters Delilah-Mae, five, and Eliza Violet, seven months, on Instagram.
Chloe Khan
The 19-year-old party girl exploded onto Britain’s screens in 2010 with her long matted hair extensions, ripped jeans and spidery lashes – but Chloe has since undergone a massive transformation.
After being kicked off the talent show for admitting she had stayed up all night partying, she had a brief stint on Celebrity Big Brother where she had a fling with disgraced TV star Stephen Bear.
She was evicted on day 16 but has since gone on to make a mint.
The 33-year-old spent thousands of pounds on cosmetic surgery – including a boob job to boost her bust to 32HH – and is now thought to have made over £1million as an influencer and webcam girl.
She is also a favourite on OnlyFans with 733k likes.
Christopher Maloney
This Scouse crooner won the hearts of the judges in 2012 with his rendition of Bette Midler’s The Rose – but after being viciously bullied by viewers for his looks, Christopher is now nearly unrecognisable.
In 2015, Christopher told This Morning the bullying took a severe toll on his health.
“As the series was going on and the further I got in the competition, I was getting really bad trolls,” he says.
“It’s just affected me so much. At the end of the final, I did have a breakdown.”
He’s splashed out £70,000 on 20 different cosmetic surgeries including veneers, a hair transplant and an eye lift and has admitted he suffers from body dysmorphia.
In 2023 he sparked panic when he posted a series of pictures and videos of himself, bruised and bloodied, following the eye lift surgery and nose job.
“I’m in so much pain,” he wrote, adding: “Sorry! Gone too far.”
Several people commented they were worried about the 45-year-old, saying he was beautiful as he was and didn’t need to continue getting surgery.
“Oh bless you Chris I really feel for you sweetheart. You really didn’t need more work done you look fantastic already. Call it a day now,” one concerned fan urged.
“Chris, as your friend of ten years I’m asking you to please stop. You’re beautiful, you don’t need any more”, wrote another.
Steven Ritchie
The former star underwent a huge physical transformation after admitting he “felt hideous” due to his weight.
Steven, 42, starred on the show in 2014 and has since dropped an incredible four stone with the help of a personal trainer.
Speaking to the Sun last year he said he never thought it would be achievable for him to be so buff.
“I’ve had a four stone loss at 42 years old, so I’ve got my abs now which is great. I never thought it would be possible but it happened after I worked and grafted. I’ve got my lovely body now.”
Rylan Clark
These days Rylan is a household name but when he appeared on The X Factor at 23 he had a very different look to his current style.
Young Rylan had long blonde locks and a fake tan that almost lit the stage with its orange glow.
Now one of Britain’s most popular TV hosts, he’s toned down the tan and ditched the long hair.
Rylan – who has fronted Celebrity Big Brother and Gogglebox – now looks suave with dark hair swept back and bright new teeth.
The Essex boy has frequently made jokes about his blindingly white gnashers, saying they distracted fans from his “s*** presenting” at the beginning of his career.
He told Notebook magazine he had his veneers finished the day before he started his first presenting gig at Big Brother’s Bit on the Side.
“That was the first night everyone saw them and all people did was take the p**s out of my teeth.
“So no one realised I was a s*** presenter, and by the time they stopped talking about my teeth a few months later, I’d got better at the job,” he joked.
Mary Byrne
The Dublin singer appeared in the 2010 series and was dubbed “Tesco Mary” by her adoring fans due to her former job as a checkout operator.
Since then Mary has lost six stone, ditched the dark hair and now sports a stylish cropped blonde look.
She credited her daughter Deborah with helping her drop the pounds saying she is strict but helpful.
“She won’t let me do the shopping because she knows I buy rubbish, which I will but she’s made me realise life is there for living,” Mary said in 2020.
This year she launched her own one woman show Check Me Out and has been touring Ireland.
Ray Quinn
The fresh-faced Liverpudlian stole the judges’ hearts when he burst onto the stage in 2006 aged 17 and almost won – being beaten in the final by iconic popstar Leona Lewis.
Far from the youthful boyish look he had during The X Factor, Ray is now bulked up, bearded and fully tatted.
He’s had a career change too.
After the show, Ray dropped an album of covers including the iconic Fly Me to The Moon that flew to the top of the UK charts and went platinum.
He also had a stint on Hollyoaks and won Dancing On Ice – twice.
But when Covid hit, he ditched the star-studded lifestyle to lay carpets in his family business alongside his brothers Robin and Darren.
Before starting work with his brothers, Ray became a Hermes delivery driver after he discovered he was not entitled to any government support.
“I didn’t want to sit around and feel sorry for myself,” he said.