Saara Alto is to be a judge on the Finnish version of ‘The X Factor’.
The quirky singer – who was runner up on the UK show last year – is returning to her home country for a stint on the programme, and revealed producers decided to bring it back just because of her success in the 2016 talent competition.
She told The Sun newspaper: "They haven’t had ‘The X Factor’ in Finland for 10 years. But because I was on it and it was such a hit, they decided to bring it back and have me as a judge."
And despite knowing what it’s like to be on the receiving end of tough comments from the judge, Saara has vowed to be as harsh on the contestants as Simon Cowell.
She added: "I’ll be like Simon. I’m going to be quite strict because I’m very ambitious and I will see if the acts have ambition or not.
"If they don’t, I will tell them they need to go.
"I know this business needs ambition and commitment."
But Saara is looking forward to being an "inspiration" for the contestants.
She said: "I believe I will be a good mentor. I find it wonderful to inspire people, to help them live their lives and find their own potential. It’s my strength.
"I want my singers to really enjoy being on stage and be really self-confident."
The 30-year-old beauty will be joined on the panel by Finnish music superstar Suvi Teräsniska, rapper Mikael Gabriel, and former Hanoi Rocks frontman Micheal Monroe, who previously mentored Saara on ‘The Voice of Finland’ in 2012.
Auditions for the show start in September, with the series due to air in Spring 2018.
Saara Alto to judge X Factor Finland
