Performing in front of some of the most famous faces in the music industry can be intimidating for any artist. You want to put your best foot forward and show them just how ready you are to take the world by storm.
That’s exactly what Samantha Lavery did during her audition on The X Factor UK! She dressed up in a leather jumpsuit, curled her hair and piled on the makeup. In the 17-year-old’s mind, this was the perfect image of a girl who was ready to be a star.
Unfortunately, Simon Cowell saw right through Samantha’s “mask” and called her out….
Simon blasted Samantha for her distant audition and slammed her vocal performance. Despite his brutal critique of Samantha’s audition, Simon called her back as a wildcard! Her path to fame wasn’t over yet! Simon flew all of his picks out to his beachside mansion in Malibu and allowed them to sing for him – and luckily, Samantha was included in that group.
Once again, Samantha dressed in high heels, heavy makeup and a big hairdo, and once again, Simon wasn’t pleased.
Simon said that she looked guarded and that the makeup wasn’t doing her any favors. She was still young and needed to embrace her fresh face, instead of hiding it behind mounds of makeup. Simon’s criticisms seemed harsh, but Mel B agreed.
There was no reason for a young lady like Samantha to feel like she had to create a popstar persona with high heels and a ton of makeup. So, instead of being offended and running off the set, Samantha took a little time to regather herself and come back in a different manner.
She had no idea that a little less makeup would have such a big effect on the judges sitting before her….
After taking a break, Samantha returned as the last contestant to sing for Simon. Heeding Simon’s advice, Samantha removed most of her makeup and buttoned up her overall strap!
She was there to sing her heart out, not provide an image of what she thought a superstar looked like.
Not only was Simon (and the other judges) thrilled about her fresh new look, but he was also impressed with her vocal performance! It was clear at that point that Samantha was destined for a career in the music industry.
Watch this emotional second chance unfold by pressing “play” on the video below.
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