Enfield Independent:

HE only reached public consciousness four years ago, but Joe McElderry (below) has already had a winding career.
In 2009, he won the X Factor. His debut single narrowly missed the Christmas number one spot then sold bucketloads, he got dropped by his label, picked up by another and won Popstar to Operastar, which sent his career in yet another direction.
The singer is heading to Harlow on Thursday and the audience can expect an eclectic show.
The 22-year-old says: “I’m really mixing it up so people get a taste of everything over the past four years of what I’ve been doing.“
Producing a show with such range is not an easy task.
“It is a challenge,“ he says. “One of the classical songs comes after a real up-tempo song with a big dance routine so it takes a bit of focus to go from that and being out of breath to something like Nessun Dorma.“
Spending time with his fans is important for Joe, too.
He says: “The fans are the ones that make everything possible.
“I like to spend time after a show meeting people outside.
“I make it a mission to make sure I spend time with them and let them see me as a person.“
Being thrust into the spotlight after winning the X Factor was tough for Joe, who described it as “surreal“ and said he “never wanted to be famous“.
On his chart battle with Rage Against the Machine for the number one spot, he said he had no idea what was happening at the time.
He says: “I had just won the show, I was exhausted by how busy we’d been and I didn’t really understand anything about the music industry.
“What I came to realise after was they actually helped us sell even more copies than we would have done and made it one of the biggest winning singles ever because of the chart battle.“
Despite parting ways with Simon Cowell’s record label, Joe keeps up to date with the X Factor, and stays in touch with his fellow finalists. He has remained good friends with his mentor on the show, Cheryl Cole, and said he misses seeing her on the judging panel.
He says: “I’m not too bothered about Simon, but I miss Cheryl on the show.
“Cheryl is doing her own thing now, she’s doing really well. I don’t know if she’d go back or not.
“I suppose Simon is that historical judge that everybody wants approval from.
“I think whatever judges are doing it, they have got to be interesting and people have to respect what they say.“

 

Joe McElderry is at Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow, on Thursday, March 13.
Details: Details: 01279 431945, playhouseharlow.com