Joe McElderry – Was Weight Loss a Key to Winning X-Factor?
Joe as a fat kid - Aged 13 (source: News of the World - Click Image to Visit)
Joe McElderry lost significant weight before competing in the X Factor 2009
The winner of 2009′s X-Factor was Joe McElderry, an 18 year old boy who lost over 2 stone before entering this years X-Factor.
Joe has an amazing singing voice and never faltered over the 10 or so weeks of constant singing in front of millions watching British T.V.
When his past was revealed it showed that Joe was once very overweight which is still evident in his cheeks but you would never notice it unless it was pointed out to you or you saw his old pictures from a year ago!
Was this sudden weight loss for the show? Or was it that Joe hit the wall and said “enough is enough” a year ago whilst looking in the mirror?
Previous contestants of talent contests such as Michelle McManus and Rick Waller have been heavily criticised for their weight with Michelle’s career going no-where after she won the talent show Pop Idol. This showed a need to be attractive as well as talented on such singing contests as with so many other areas of entertainment in the modern world.
So whether Joe lost the weight to increase his changes of winning the X Factor or he just did it for himself I say well done Joe and I wish all the best for the future!
Boy that little fella can sing……..
UPDATE 2010 – WE WERE RIGHT!!!!!
Joe has spoke publicly about his weight loss, claiming to have lost 2 stone through plain good eating and exercise. Knowing that the weight was the one factor holding him back for the contract with Simon Cowell he shed the weight in just a year to reveal his squeaky clean handsome looks 
Here’s Daily Mail’s take on our story
Joe makes me feel like a dirty old woman.
Oh, and Ben’s housemate is his missing identical twin, sure he’s 24, but hell you should see this kidda’s driving licence taken when he was the same age.
Thanks for the post Jonny.
I have to say Joe has been one of my favourites throughout the competition. He’s such a little sweetie and I just want to mother him! He definitely looks better now that he’s lost some weight. There are videos of him when he was bigger and he’s a little heart throb now!
joe is what kept me watching x factor it is so hard to belive that joe was chubby(no affence joe) a couple of months before entering the show. i do believe that people not only kept joe in the show for his singing but for his sexy body aswell