Biography
Eoghan Quigg, a schoolboy from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland born in 1992, came close to pulling off one of The X Factor’s most unexpected victories, much like earlier finalists Leon Jackson and Ray Quinn. He started performing early on, taking part in his school choir and several local stage productions. During 2008 he tried out for the program’s fifth season, earning a place in the live rounds after the judges responded strongly to his version of Eric Clapton’s “Tears in Heaven.” Covers of material by George Michael, Michael Jackson, and John Lennon quickly positioned him as a leading contender, while a rumored relationship with a fellow contestant turned him into one of the season’s most discussed figures. In the end he placed third in a tight final, finishing behind Alexandra Burke and JLS. Post-series reports later showed that he had actually received the highest number of public votes across six of the ten live shows. Simon Cowell opted against offering contracts to any of the runners-up that year, focusing solely on the winner. Following a hometown concert attended by 20,000 fans, however, Quigg secured a recording agreement with RCA Records and began preparing his self-titled debut album. The project included several tracks he had sung on the show along with a new song co-written by Busted’s James Bourne, and it climbed to number 14 on the U.K. chart while topping the Irish listings. He also received a personal invitation to open for Boyzone on their U.K. summer dates and joined the yearly X Factor Live arena tour.