Mary Byrne starred in the same X Factor year as One Direction and Liam Payne but not she is almost unrecognisable from that time
X Factor star Mary Byrne is looking almost unrecognisable from her time on the ITV talent show, some 15 years after appearing alongside One Direction and Liam Payne.
The 65-year-old Irish singer found fame on the 2010 version, impressing judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Cheryl and Katy Perry with her rendition of Tom Jones song, I Who Have Nothing. She was affectionately dubbed ‘Tesco Mary’ at the time by fans as she worked for the retailer in Ireland.
In the year that Matt Cardle beat Rebecca Ferguson and One Direction to the winning spot, Mary came a fabulous fifth as she wowed audiences with her voice and performances. Back then, Mary was rocking brunette hair with fringe but latest pics show her with a white blonde cropped hairstyle.
While still enjoying singing, Mary, 65, is also a podcaster and hosts The Wise Owl Wans Podcast with Irish actress and writer Eilish O’Carroll, 72. Mary is also starring in pantomime, playing the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at Liberty Panto in Dublin.
In promotional images for her panto performance, Mary poses in a white frilly dress with coiffed pink hair, a long way from her X Factor looks. Since her time on the ITV show, Mary has starred in a musical alongside Linda Nolan and has performed on Mediterranean cruises with Sir Cliff Richard.
Following the death of her fellow X Factor star, Liam Payne, Mary has admitted that she has struggled to “come to terms” with is tragic passing. Speaking to The Sun, Mary said: “I wouldn’t say fame wasn’t for him but I would say that they went far too big, far too quick, they literally burned out after five years.”
Mary believed that Liam had been “finding it really tough” living out of hotel room while touring around the world with crowds of fans following his every move. Mary added: “He said ‘I am loving it, it is brilliant’, But he said ‘It is hard and it is not what I expected’ those were the words he said.”
Mary added that she always had pride for his achievements: “I was following his career and these young men and you are thinking how proud you are. I always felt proud like a mother because I was the Mammy figure in the house.”
Mary has previously enjoyed a weight transformation since appearing on The X Factor. Mary told the the Irish Mirror in 2020 that she reached 21 stone whilst on the show, with her having since lost 6 stone – which she described as “half a person in weight.”
The singer – who managed to get her weight down to 15 stone – said at the time: “I looked at the picture of me on the show and me now and I honestly was shocked.”
She further commented: “It has happened gradually over the decade [so] I guess I haven’t noticed it as much but yes, it is a shocking amount of weight loss.”
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