Sheyi Omatayo began his audition on The X Factor UK 2012 with a self-assured and amiable manner as he engaged with the host, noting his work at Nando’s and even claiming to have previously talked with Pixie Lott. His exuberant pre-audition remarks demonstrated his strong sense of self-belief and excitement for the occasion. But even before he started singing, the judges appeared to find his personality extremely humorous, as they all smiled and laughed.
Sheyi’s distinctive and rather uncommon vocal style startled the judges when he started to perform Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” In contrast to the original song, his voice was deep and gruff, which caused the crowd and the judges to react visibly in shock and with stifled laughter. Even though he obviously put a lot of effort and passion into his performance, it was clear that his singing did not live up to the competition’s conventional standards.
In the end, the judges—Nicole Scherzinger and Gary Barlow among them—delivered their decisions, stating that although they valued his personality and captivating appearance, his singing was inappropriate for the competition. Gary called his voice “dreadful,” and Nicole called it a “split personality.” Sheyi remained upbeat and even joked with the judges despite the obvious rejections, but he was sadly not promoted in the competition.
