X FACTOR star James Graham's family say the teenager could have become a professional footballer before pursuing a singing career.
On Sunday night's episode, solo artist James, 17, of Bicknacre, was chosen to join an eight-strong boy band and their rendition of Leona Lewis' song Run impressed the audience to win a place at the judges' houses stage of the competition.
James and the band will now be whisked off to their mentor Louis Walsh's house where the Irish music mogul will whittle the six groups down to his chosen three for the live shows.
The judges' houses stage of the competition has already been filmed but X Factor rules restrict competitors and their families from revealing the results until after the episode is shown this weekend. But it all could have been very different for James had the talented youngster pursued a career in football after playing for Focus Ferrers, Essex County and Colchester United as a schoolboy.
His mum, Paula, 47, told the Chronicle: "He used to love playing football, that was his favourite thing to do and he was really good.
"But he's always had a wonderful voice, its true to say that I wanted him to be a singer and I think he started to take notice when he won some money at Maldon's Got Talent and then really started to want to be a singer."
With the £700 prize, he bought an iPad, and got himself a "posh" haircut. Dad David Graham, 47, who works as a sales manager, coached his son's football team when he was growing up and dreamed his son would go on to play for his favourite team, Manchester United, or Chelmsford City.
"He was a good player and it was an ambition of mine to watch him play for Manchester United or Chelmsford City, who we also watch play," he said.
"I suppose it came to a point where he couldn't continue singing and playing football.
"We are really proud of him and we are absolutely delighted he's doing well – at the moment I feel like his chauffeur and I'm hoping one day he'll be able to buy me a car in return."
His mum Paula says that she knew he had a special talent ever since he won a talent competition as a 10-year-old at the Priory Primary School on Bicknacre Road with a home-choreographed routine to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now.
She said: "I think you could tell that he was a good performer, but he's humble by nature and he doesn't like to show off.
"At some stage he just got his confidence and he hasn't looked back."
James impressed the judges with Adele's I Can't Make You Love Me in the Wembley Arena auditions, and earlier with James Morrison's version of You Give Me Something. And despite being entered into a new eight-piece boy band on last week's show, Mrs Graham says that he couldn't be happier.
She said: "I'm not sure if he could ever go back to being a soloist, he really loves the camaraderie of the band and they all get along so well – it's scary."
It's not the first time X Factor boss Simon Cowell has put bands together from the solo artists who did not make it into the boys' category – he did the same with One Direction.
James now has over 21,000 followers on his Facebook account, but his mum believes that his new found fame will not go to his head.
She said: "He's quite laid-back and he'll just take it as it comes, I think at first he wanted to reply to all of his good luck messages, which have come from all over the world, but he knows now he can't.
"He's quite mature for his age and I'm sure he can handle all of the pressure."
Watch James and his, as yet, unnamed band, at judges' houses on ITV on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
