Cher Lloyd on her past and early career beginnings: 'These things have built up my character'

Songstress Cher Lloyd recently spoke to British newspaper The Guardian and opened up about the early beginnings of her career, in which she gained something of a negative reputation for a while, and admitted that while it was hard she has learned a lot.

She explained that she now feels stronger than ever and has 'built up her character' after being widely criticised: "Things like that are a bit of a sore from the past. These things have built up my character."

When asked what the biggest shock was about appearing on 'The X Factor', she confessed that it was always being moulded and changed: "It was learning that I couldn't 100% be myself. I felt like I was being pulled and tugged in different directions. The worst thing for me was that I had felt I wasn't good enough because there was so much "You should wear this" or "You should sound like this". It was a massive self-confidence thing."

Lloyd added: "I was OK before – I was the sort of girl who didn't really care what people thought of me, so to be put in that position was quite hard. So then what I'd do is put this massive barrier around me. If we'd had this conversation back when I was 16 on the show [she turns 21 this month], I would have been on the defensive the moment I clapped eyes on you and I'd think you were there to ruin me."

Watch Lloyd's recent interview with Alan Carr on his 'Chatty Man' television show below: