gx Factor Final 2011
The Grimsby Institute's gx Factor 2011 finished in a blaze of glory last night with Elliesha Whyte being crowned the gx Factor Champion. Elliesha fought off some of the toughest competition in gx history, and impressed the judges, including celebrity judge and X-Factor Finalist, Lloyd Daniels, with her vocal dexterity and powerful stage presence
The gx Factor is one of the Institute's flagship competitions for 14-16 year olds, offering young people in our region the chance to take part in a high profile singing competition, and provides a platform for up and coming talent in our region.
Over fifty 14-16 year olds auditioned for this year's competition with 20 getting through to the heats that were held in the Coffee Lounge, the finalists were then chosen from the two heats and were invited to compete in the Grand Final, which took place last night in the Grimsby Institute's main hall, in front of an eager audience of over 200 and the four judges.
The judges for this year's final were Gavin Hosford, the Grimsby Institute's Director of 14-19 Partnerships, Claire Foster, the Head of School for Arts and Media, Alan Bird, the Institute’s Associate Principal and special guest, Lloyd Daniels, who turns nineteen next week and has just released his new EP 'Suburbian Girl'.
Lloyd was a finalist in the popular ITV series in 2009, coming 5th Place, and has since had a successful recording career, having performed over 400 gigs across the UK, and this was Lloyd's first time judging a competition based on the programme that made him famous, Lloyd said:
"It's all a bit new to me sitting on the other side of the judging panel, but we wanted to find someone with a powerful voice and a great range, and we've found that with Elliesha.
"Being on X Factor was madness, it was hard work and very tiring at the end of the each week, but it's given me the career that I wanted so it's definitely been worth it.
"If anyone is looking at getting into the music industry I recommend they start posting videos of themselves on the internet, that's a great way to gauge what the public's reaction will be and the feedback can prepare you for entering competitions and the critics that you are going to face.
The contestants were invited by gx Host, Adam Blow, to sing two songs, one with a Christmas theme and the other a number of their choice, in front of the judges and crowd of family and friends. 2nd Place was awarded to Sophie Webb who sang 'Hallelujah' and 'Concrete Angel', with Elliesha taking the top prize of £100 and tickets to the X Factor Live Tour with powerhouse renditions of 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' and 'Listen', from the film Dreamgirls.
Fifteen-year-old Elliesha, a pupil at Tollbar Academy, wants to be a professional singer and dancer when she finishes her education and hopes that this is the first rung on the ladder to stardom, Elliesha said:
"It feels amazing and I'm over the moon to be the winner, I'm also a big fan of Lloyds, so to be able to perform in front of him has been brilliant. Lloyd's been so nice and is such a great singer, it's just all been great.
"gx is such a good experience for anyone who wants to perform, it's a great opportunity to get yourself out there and show people what you can do."
Llloyd added:
"Elliesha is a deserved winner, I've enjoyed every second of the competition and being a judge. The talent here has been phenomenal and Elliesha definitely has a fantastic career ahead of her.
"I'm just recording my album at the moment, but my single is available to download now on iTunes and I'm sure that one day I'll be buying Elliesha's albums and singles myself."
The gx Factor Finalists for 2011 were Bethany Redmond, Amy Garnett, Demi Towle, Jack Surfleet, Will Charlton, Sophie Webb, Charlotte Adams, Jay Wraith, Elliesha Whyte, Alex Davies and Alexandra Fairfield.
Article date: 08/12/2011
