Rhydian Roberts | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Rhydian James Roberts |
Born | Sennybridge, Wales | 14 February 1983
Genres | Musical theatre, classical crossover, opera, Operatic pop, Wagnerian rock |
Occupation(s) | Singer, musical theatre actor, television presenter |
Years active | 2007–2023 (announced retirement) |
Labels | Sony, Syco, Conehead |
Website | www |
Rhydian James Roberts (born 14 February 1983), also known mononymously as Rhydian, is a Welsh former baritone singer, television presenter and musical theatre actor. He rose to fame in series 4 of The X Factor (2007), and subsequently became less widely known. Rhydian Roberts retired from performing in February 2023 with a farewell album. [1] He is currently an artist manager at Neil O'Brien Entertainment. [1]
Born in Sennybridge, Rhydian attended the Pontsenni Cylch Meithrin in Brecon and then Ysgol y Bannau Welsh medium school. He played rugby union for the Gwernyfed rugby football club as a junior and later for his school, as well as cricket for Powys County Junior teams. [2] [3] Following a gap year teaching in a small school in South Africa, Rhydian won a bursary to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire at the University of Central England. [4]
Rhydian has said: "I'm very proud of what I achieved on X Factor . [5] I'm a showman and it gave me the chance to put on a show". [6] Amongst other songs, he sang:
During the live stages of competition, eventually his "trademark white hair and flamboyant dress sense made him an audience favourite." [9] His version of "The Impossible Dream" became the keynote track on his first album. [10]
Rhydian's performances and results on The X Factor | |||
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Episode | Theme | Song | Result |
Audition | Free choice | "Love to Me" \ "Dancing Queen" | Advanced |
Bootcamp 1 | "Delilah" | Advanced | |
Bootcamp 2 | "Let It Be" | Advanced | |
Judges' houses | Free choice | "Somebody to Love" | Advanced |
Week 1 | Number Ones | "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" | Safe |
Week 2 | Film Themes | "The Phantom of the Opera" | Safe |
Week 3 | Big Band | "Get the Party Started" | Safe |
Week 4 | 21st Century Classics | "You Raise Me Up" | Safe |
Week 5 | Disco | "Go West" | Safe |
Week 6 | Love Songs | "Somewhere" | Safe |
Week 7 | British Classics | "Somebody to Love" | Safe |
"I Vow to Thee, My Country" \ "World in Union" | |||
Week 8: Semi final | Mentor's choice | "Bridge over Troubled Water" | Safe |
Contestants' choice | "You'll Never Walk Alone" | ||
Week 9: Final | Christmas Songs | "O Holy Night" | Runner-up |
Celebrity Duets | "You Raise Me Up" (with Katherine Jenkins) | ||
Song of the Series | "Somewhere" | ||
Winner's single | "When You Believe" |
In February 2023, Rhydian Roberts announced his retirement from singing and released a final album:
"I’ve enjoyed my career. It's been 15 years since The X Factor, I’ve released eight albums already, and I just wanted to sign off my singing career with a couple of releases. One classical album and then later on in the year I'm doing a Best Of which has all my favourite songs from the pop world, musical theatre, and classical. That’ll be it then – I'm hanging up my recording voice." [1]
Rhydian currently works as an artist manager at Neil O'Brien Entertainment.
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