Why did you want to do a master class for Stage School? For me, when I was younger I would have loved to have had someone come and give me advice who knows the industry. What better people to take advice from than people who have actually been in the industry and done what you want to do, you know?

Did you go to stage school yourself? I didn't but I always planned on going to stage school. I actually applied for a stage school when I was 16 and I wanted to do performing arts there and then I wanted to go to another one afterwards. So I had in my head what I wanted to do and my application form got lost in the post for the school and literally a week later I got in the X Factor.

What have you been up to on-set at Stage School today? So on set today it was really fun, I got to watch Jordi and Lucia perform together which was lovely and I got to sing for them and it was really nice because we got to know a little bit more about each other. They asked me for advice on being in the music industry and in the theatre industry as well. It was just really nice getting to share bits of information about each other and with them… yeah, it was lovely.

Do you have any tips for young people who want to make it in the industry? I’ve got some tips. I think, no matter what industry I think you've got to be happy, you know? Because some people try and have an input and I think as long as you’re happy then you’re going with your gut instinct and that’s always the best instinct to go with. And I think as well, don't let people put too much pressure on you. I think it’s so easy, especially if you’ve done a reality TV show like myself, it’s very easy to get in this bubble of being under pressure so I definitely say don’t let pressure get to you too much. At the end of the day we’re only human, nerves are normal. So that would definitely be one. And thirdly, I think: keep good people around you like your family and friends - remember who’s been there for you from the start, before your career takes off or whatever, because people do come in along the way, and it happened with me, you’ve just got to keep reminding yourself of who was there from the start. Keep a good team of people around you who are going to look after you.

What are you up to at the moment? I’ve just done two years of solid theatre, which has been totally different for me, and now I’m back on the gigging scene and doing my music which has been really fun, but obviously I’m still going in for various musicals along the way. I like to keep my options open. I’ve got panto booked up for at the end of the year already which is really fun… I’m gonna be playing Tinkerbell this year! I found out the other day I get to fly over the audience so I’m pretty excited about that, I’m not gonna lie!

After having done X Factor, would you recommend doing that or a more traditional stage school route? I think everyone's lives are mapped out for them in some way, shape or form and the fact for me, my stage school contract got lost in the post, I think was a sign that I wasn’t meant to go to a stage school and train. I didn’t like anyone telling me what to do in school. I was terrible, I didn’t listen to anybody. I knew what I wanted to do, I wanted to be on a stage and no one was holding me back, I wasn’t interested in biology or chemistry or maths or English. I think you’ve got to go with what you think’s right and for me obviously getting on the X Factor was a huge opportunity because it opened so many doors that I probably never would’ve had. If I’d gone to Stage School I’d kinda have been in the same boat as everyone else just hoping to be seen for things, where doing something like the X Factor it puts your profile up. But you’ve got to work your absolute arse off for it, you know, you’ve got to come off the shore. And people do sit there and think ‘alright, where’s my work?’ you know, yoyou’ve got to work for it and you’ve got to go out there fighting and you are up against all these trained people. Like, I go into auditions and I’m with a classically trained singer or an amazing dancer and that’s not me you know, I know what I’m good at and what my good skills and points are, so I think ‘right, okay, I might lose out on this job but at least I’ve got the opportunity to be seen’. So I think whether you go to stage school or whether you go down the route that I went down, you’re still in the same boat as everybody else, you’ve still got to go out and fight for it.

So, at the end of the day, either way, the kind of end thing is actually working hard yourself? It’s all down to you. If you’re not willing to work, you won’t work. You’ve got to go out there and show that you are a grafter, you know?

Stage School starts on Monday 25th September at 5:30pm on E4