X Factor contestant described as a 'country bumpkin' farmer is outed as a trained soprano by show fans who recognised her as a Britain's Got Talent backing singer

  • Hannah Kilminster said she was more used to spending time on her farm
  • 30-year-old said she was put off a singing career by disparaging teachers 
  • Singer then wowed judges with her rendition of Queen's Somebody to Love
  • But fans of show recognised her as a Britain's Got Talent backing singer

A seemingly shy X Factor contestant described by judges as a 'country bumpkin' was outed as a trained soprano by fans of the show who recognised her as a Britain's Got Talent backing singer. 

Hannah Kilminster wowed judges after performing a note perfect rendition of Queen's Somebody to Love during the auditions stages of the reality TV show.  

The 30-year-old told the panel she had stuck to a life of mucking out cows, pigs and chickens on her family farm in Cirencester after disparaging teachers rubbished her hopes of a singing career.

But, just minutes after her audition had been aired, viewers had unearthed the singer's online CVs - which appeared to show she was a little more comfortable in the limelight than originally claimed. 

A seemingly shy X Factor hopeful (pictured performing on Saturday night) who was described by judges as a 'country bumpkin' is actually a trained soprano who has performed on Britain's Got Talent

A seemingly shy X Factor hopeful (pictured performing on Saturday night) who was described by judges as a 'country bumpkin' is actually a trained soprano who has performed on Britain's Got Talent

Fighting fierce: The solo singer, a glamorous farmer from Cirencester, left judges amazed with her incredible vocals
She perfrmed a note perfect rendition of Queen's Somebody to Love during the auditions stages of the reality TV show

Hannah Kilminster (pictured left and right during her audition) wowed judges after performing a note perfect rendition of Queen's Somebody to Love during the auditions stages of the reality TV show 

As well as claiming she has performed as a backing singer on Britain's Got Talent in 2011, one of her impressive online CVs claims that she has performed as a lead soprano with Simon Cowell's four-man ensemble Il Divo at the Royal Albert Hall.

Among her list of credits - which she has now removed from casting website StarNow - she also described how she has toured with various musicals, including as the lead role of Eva Peron in a world tour of Evita.

On her own website, it describes how she studied musical theatre and classical voice at the prestigious Northern Academy of Dance and Drama, before landing roles in productions of Alice In Wonderland and Jack And The Beanstalk.

Other credits listed include a backing vocalist for the Classical Brit Awards and the role of 'Glinda' in a production of the Wizard of Oz.  

It was also reported that she has also been employed as a promotions girl for the Spearmint Rhino strip club chain, working at boxing matches, including for Katie Price's cagefighting ex-husband Alex Reid.

The claims - along with several professionally-taken photos which feature on the websites - were quickly shared among disgruntled viewers, many of whom took to Twitter to criticise the singer and the show. 

Others were particularly uncomfortable with her alleged link to Cowell's brand Syco, with one writing: 'Simon Cowell must have memory loss'. 

She was then given a standing ovation by the judges (pictured during her audition) after her impressive performance, with Cowell saying he was 'speechless' 

She was then given a standing ovation by the judges (pictured during her audition) after her impressive performance, with Cowell saying he was 'speechless' 

Viewers appeared to be  uncomfortable with her alleged link to Cowell's brand Syco, with one writing: 'Simon Cowell must have memory loss'

Viewers appeared to be  uncomfortable with her alleged link to Cowell's brand Syco, with one writing: 'Simon Cowell must have memory loss'

Miss Kilminster told the panel she worked on her family farm in Cirencester. But her parents in fact live in the village of Cradley, Worcester, in a residential close made up of red-brick new builds (pictured centre)

Miss Kilminster told the panel she worked on her family farm in Cirencester. But her parents in fact live in the village of Cradley, Worcester, in a residential close made up of red-brick new builds (pictured centre)

Before her performance, Miss Kilminster, a glamorous blonde, had told judges she was dressed 'very differently' to what she normally looks like.

She said that if she went out 'looking like this' in Cirencester, people would wonder what she was wearing.

'I work on my family farm in Gloucestershire. We have pigs, cows, sheep and chickens. Life on the farm is filthy - I muck out and clean,' she said.  

She was then given a standing ovation by the judges after her impressive performance, with Cowell saying he was 'speechless'.

'Bloody hell. Where did that come from?' said Simon Cowell. 'I'm slightly speechless because I wasn't expecting that.'

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini added: 'You look like a country bumpkin. But you are a fantastic singer.'

An online CV posted on talent website Star Now says Ms Kilminster performed on Britain's Got Talent

An online CV posted on talent website Star Now says Ms Kilminster performed on Britain's Got Talent

According to her website, which featured several professionally-taken photos, Ms Kilminster is a singer who lives in London

According to her website, which featured several professionally-taken photos, Ms Kilminster is a singer who lives in London

Among her listed credits on the site was a role in the musical Jack and the Beanstalk and Alice in Wonderland

Among her listed credits on the site was a role in the musical Jack and the Beanstalk and Alice in Wonderland

Her online CV on StarNow, which has since been removed, claims Ms Kilminster performed as a lead soprano with Il Divo at the Royal Albert Hall

Her online CV on StarNow, which has since been removed, claims Ms Kilminster performed as a lead soprano with Il Divo at the Royal Albert Hall

Rita Ora said: 'I was so shocked and surprised due to the whole country thing - your voice came out and I had to hold onto my hair before it flew off.'  

And Nick Grimshaw said: 'That was really, really awesome. We need a Hannah farm so we can breed singers like this.'

The Radio 1 DJ then asked the singer if she wants to stay living on the farm in Cirencester.

She replied: 'My teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I was at school. I remember telling her that I wanted to be a singer but she said no. She told me that wasn't a realistic.'

She added: 'I haven’t been to many auditions - being stuck on a farm, you don’t get many opportunities apart from singing to the animals.

'I don’t even know how I’ve even got the confidence to be here to be honest.'  

Ms Kilminster's parents now live in the village of Cradley, Worcester, in a residential close made up of red-brick new builds, which is surrounded by farmland.

According to neighbours, the Kilminster family moved into the large, modern property about four years ago, although the 30-year-old is rarely seen there. 

A female neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: 'I don't think they own a farm. I think they own some orchard land. I have never seen her wandering around in wellies.' 

The next-door neighbour said: 'They were one of the first to move in here. I don't know what they all do for work, but they are always in and out. I don't think they have any pets or animals.'

Ms Kilminster and her family previously lived in a large country cottage in the village of North Cerney, Gloucestershire, where she grew up.

 I haven’t been to many auditions - being stuck on a farm, you don’t get many opportunities apart from singing to the animals
Hannah Kilminster  

The area is surrounded by farms and farmland, but the singer’s old family home sits at the top of a hill in the centre of a residential area.

A resident of North Cerney, whose son was friends with Ms Kilminster, said: 'The first time I heard her sing was in the village pantomime.

'This is all she ever wanted to do. I have heard her sing so many times and she has always been bloody brilliant.”

The neighbour told MailOnline she had been told by Ms Kilminster not to talk about her background. 

After her audition was aired on Saturday, she tweeted her thanks to those who had complimented her singing.

Yesterday, she told The Sun that the Twitter comments had been 'very upsetting' and that she had 'very open' about her singing in the interviews leading up to her performance. 

An ITV spokesman said: 'Hannah grew up and worked on her family farm.

'As an aspiring professional singer, Hannah has done occasional performing jobs in the past, but has never made a full time living out of it or done anything on the scale of her X Factor audition. 

THE REAL DEAL? OTHER REALITY CONTESTANTS EMBROILED IN 'FIX' ROWS

This is not the first time a reality show has been embroiled in a row regarding the veracity of the contestants’ claims.

During series three of the X Factor, boy band Avenue were accused of cheating after it emerged that they already had a management deal with music mogul Ashley Tabor.

It was also revealed that one member, Jamie Tinker, once had a recording contract with Sony BMG - a branch of parent company Sony which Cowell's company Syco is a subsidiary of. Despite attracting criticism, this was judged not to be against the rules of the show.

In series 11, Jay James Picton - one of the stand-out acts from the first weekend - was criticised by viewers after it was revealed that the singer already had a record deal.

The 30-year-old, who had recorded with the likes of John Legend, released an album on the Decca label and played as a support act for Jessie J and Rebecca Ferguson.

In 2006, Chloe-Jasmine Whichello - who describes herself as the 'poshest girl you could meet' - found herself at the centre of a row when it emerged that she had auditioned for The X Factor with a West Country twang, eight years before appearing on the show with her trademark posh accent.

The singer, who claims to have had elocution lessons since the age of 11, later claimed she had only tried to hide her accent because she was often bullied for the way she talks.   

This year, Ofcom launched a formal investigation into Britain’s Got Talent after claims that a stunt-double dog helped Jules O’Dwyer and Matisse to win the final.

The broadcasting regulator received 1,150 complaints about the use of a second dog, called Chase, which was used to perform the high rope walk that clinched O’Dwyer the £250,000 first prize. 

 

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