WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18: X Factor hopeful Ryan Bean faces a nail-biting four-week wait to see if he has made it through to the next round of the biggest TV talent show in Europe.
Singer Ryan wowed judges in London last week, getting through the first two rounds, held at Arsenal Football Club’s Emirates Stadium.
And it’s thought Ryan, who flew to London with wife Edonna, to audition, holds the UK X Factor record for his 7,000 mile round trip.
Ryan said: “All I can do now is wait for them to get back to me and let me know. It’s going to be a little nerve-wracking waiting — but I’m just being positive and hoping for the best.”
Ryan competed against thousands of other would-be stars in London on Friday in two gruelling rounds of singing for expert judges.
He said: “It was unforgettable — I’ll remember this experience as long as I live. It was really intense. Everybody was just trying to stay focused and just preparing. The atmosphere was incredible. But the auditions were individual, so there was no nervousness about anybody else’s performance, which helped.”
He added: “Everybody we came into contact with asked us where we were from – they were stunned that we had come all the way from Bermuda to London for the auditions.
“I think I’m the farthest-travelled for an audition — I doubt anyone else has ever travelled so far to compete.”
Ryan said he wore a favourite ivory pinstriped suit to perform for the judging panel: “I tried to dress the part – it’s part of my character, so I had to take that suit along.”
BTC technician Ryan, 29, qualified for the UK X Factor through his UK Overseas Territories passport and he sent in a video audition.
He sang Boyz II Men’s “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” and used the song he proposed to his wife with, “If I Ever Fall in Love Again” by Shia for the second round.
Ryan started singing at Hamilton’s AME Heard Chapel aged just five and has been singing ever since.
If successful, Ryan faces more rounds of auditions, with only a handful of performers being selected to appear on the show, with a star mentor to help them prepare. The UK X Factor is watched by audiences of up to 13 million and the telephone voting system used to help eliminate contestants also attracts million of voters.