Jenny Ryan was supposed to audition for the first-ever ‘X Factor’ series but she "chickened out" when she saw the size of the queue.
The ‘Chase’ star is finally set to show the world her vocal ability when she takes part in the first episode of ‘The X Factor: Celebrity’ on Saturday (12.10.19) – 15 years after she came close to trying out for the regular ITV talent show.
Recalling the moment, she said: "I turned up and I saw the queue around the building – and I went home.
"I chickened out entirely. I wouldn’t have been good enough to get through at all at that point.
"I wanted to try it out. I’d been watching ‘Pop Idol’ and thinking, ‘This is quite interesting isn’t it?’
"Let’s give it a go, it might just last one series."
Since then, the quizzer was confident she had picked up some good knowledge about singing, until she met ‘The X Factor’ vocal coaches while rehearsing for the star-studded show.
She said: "I thought I’d learnt quite a lot since then, about 15 years ago.
"I thought I was an alright-ish singer then. I’ve never really done much in public.
"Over that last 15 years I’ve learned so much more. But when I started working with vocal coaches for auditions for ‘X Factor’ I realised how little I knew.
"After all that work it was like having to start from scratch again basically."
Jenny is known as ‘The Vixen’ while starring on quiz show ‘The Chase’, and admits she tapped into some of her alter-ego’s confidence while auditioning at Simon Cowell’s house during The X Factor: Celebrity’s first episode.
Speaking on ‘Good Morning Britain’, she added: "For the audition stage at Simon’s house I did use some Vixen skills. It was the Vixen who pushed me out of the door and onto the stage.
"It felt like I was watching myself on a screen.
"The Vixen is in control. She is very calm and knows her territory. She’s in control in a studio situation.
"Part of the joy of doing ‘X Factor: Celebrity’ is people at home will see a very different side to me.
"They’re used to seeing me being bossy and domineering and a little bit snarky."
Jenny Ryan ‘chickened out’ of auditioning for X Factor series 1
