Laura White (ITV1 The X Factor)

Laura White Interview

With her stunning, soulful voice, Laura White was the favourite to win last year’s X Factor but was voted out seventh after a controversial story was featured in the national papers. It was a real shock, not only for fans but for Laura too but that was a long time ago.

What has Laura been up to since The X Factor, other than performing at Coronation Street’s Alan Halsall and Lucy-Jo Hudson’s wedding which was featured in an issue of OK! (23 June 2009) and what is she most looking forward to about performing in Thamesmead? Read on to find out…

Hi Laura! So tell us, what have you been up to since The X Factor?
It’s been hectic since I left the show-I did loads of gigs directly afterwards and then there was The T Factor tour and now I am concentrating on my writing and am working with a fantastic team to get my single ready by the beginning of September. I’m working on two singles at the moment and I’m undecided on which to release first. Maybe the crowd at Thamesmead will decide for me!

Ooh, you have a record deal then?
I have been approached by a few labels, but I am still deciding on which one to go with. I’ve been getting guidance from as many people as I can and am just taking my time with it, focusing on my writing and developing as an artist.

What advice would you give to future X Factor applicants?
To remain true to yourself and your musical roots. All through The X Factor I stuck to the songs I wanted to sing. It’s easy to try singing new things but sometimes it just doesn’t work. I know my style and I stayed faithful to that and that’s the advice I would give to anyone going into the competition.

Do you think you were right to go out on The X Factor when you did?
Obviously there was a lot of controversy surrounding my exit and people expected me to be angry and bitter, but I really wasn’t. I’ve been performing music for so long now and trying to push myself as an artist, so The X Factor was just something different that I tried. At the time it was a big thing to have happened, but now I see it as an amazing platform for me to promote my music and that can only be a good thing.

Do you still keep in touch with any of the finalists?
I still see Diana; we were room-mates during the show and I am good friends with Austin. I would love to see Anastasia (Anastasia Baker who performed at last year’s Trust Thamesmead Summer Festival) again too; I had no idea she comes from Thamesmead!

I think it’s really important to keep in touch with everyone from The X Factor; it was a big part of our lives and we all shared that experience.

We all know what happened to Susan Boyle. Did you get support and guidance from The X Factor on how to handle fame?
No, it was very difficult for the show to be able to do that because there were twelve contestants and that’s a lot of us to manage individually. It was more about how you handle the fame yourself. Your life changes in literally a second, like when we first went into the shared house after making it to Boot Camp; the paparazzi were already there! It was bizarre.

The press have been really supportive towards me though but at the same time I never let myself get carried away. All the contestants were focused, they all knew what they wanted to achieve and none of them were particularly carried away by the media attention.

When did you first realise you could sing?
I started singing Gospel when I was a tiny girl and then I took part in competitions when I was around thirteen of fourteen. I always played the piano as well, but I have always been very shy so I’ve had to overcome that.

What did you do before The X Factor?
I have been gigging since the age of fifteen, but my mum advised me to study as well as a back-up. I went to college and university, which I absolutely loved and really miss! I think doing the whole studying thing keeps you grounded.

How ‘big’ would you like to be?
I would like to sell lots of records and be a big star but I also want to keep my credibility and my fans to continue to support me. I really admire artists like Stevie Wonder, who has managed to be huge star but has stuck to his roots.

Who is the most famous person in your phonebook?
Probably James Morrison. I met him at a gig I did recently in Manchester. I think he is absolutely amazing.

What are you most looking forward to about performing at the Trust Thamesmead Summer Festival?
I’m looking forward to gigging and meeting the fans. I’ve never been to Thamesmead, so I’ll be visiting somewhere new; I’m sure I’ll have a great day.

We are sure you’ll have a great day. See you on 11 July!