X Factor: Boot camp boon for singer Sam who vowed against reality route

JUST nine months after vowing he would never enter X Factor, "cheeky" singer Sam Callahan has sailed through to the ITV show's boot camp stage.

The 19-year-old, from Great Totham, won over the judges – apart from Take That's Gary Barlow – at the Cardiff audition aired on Saturday.

He then scooped a boot camp place after performing Ed Sheeran's You Need Me at Sunday's live Wembley round in front of 4,000 people, an act which saw him gyrating his hips on stage.

"I love your swagger, your image, your attitude, and girls love you," said pop mogul Louis Walsh. "I think we've found a little pop star."

Yet the former Heathcote School pupil, who in January told the Chronicle he'd rather take the "harder route" to fame, was soon defending himself in the national media. Sam previously penned letters to schools asking if he could perform to show children the X Factor platform is not essential to achieve success, and has recently released his own single.

Sam, who used to pull pints at the OAKhouse in Maldon, said: "There comes a point where you realise it's getting harder, you run out of money and you need that platform that the X Factor gives you."

Sam, who attended the William de Ferrers School, left after bullies made his life a misery. He beat 900 budding stars to a top scholarship at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

There he made friends with the District 3 boys from last year's X Factor and Nathan Sykes from chart-topping band The Wanted, who he toured with last year.

He joined a pop band headed by former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell but left in May to pursue his solo career, having also been managed by pop-band mogul John McLaughlin, who formed McFly.

Earlier this year he carried out a host of stunts in the run-up to releasing single Crazy, raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust in the process.

Sam said performing his fast-paced rendition of James Blunt's You're Beautiful for Saturday's audition was "really scary".

Yet Louis Walsh said: "I think you are young and cheeky and girls are going to like you."

A sceptical Barlow added: "I am not as excited as Louis and Sharon. I didn't feel anything special."

Boot camp, where contestants sing alongside other hopefuls on stage, is at 8.20pm on Saturday.