Saundersfoot singer keeps X Factor dream alive

The Saundersfoot born singer Jay James Picton has made national headlines again this weekend as he holds onto his place in the renowned British television music competition the X Factor.

Jay James, who hails from west Wales, which is perhaps better known for family holidays in Saundersfoot cottages than musical talent, has narrowly kept hold of his place on the TV show after losing his voice on Saturday night and finishing in the bottom two. The singer had to battle it out with Paul Akister in a tense sing-off on Sunday night and has been saved after the judges put the decision to deadlock and Jay James avoided elimination thanks to a public vote.

The X Factor’s live tour

Those who regularly holiday in Pembrokeshire self-catering cottages will be pleased to see the 31-year-old ex-Royal Navy fitness instructor retain his place and thus secure his position on the 2015 X Factor Live Tour.

Despite a difficult performance on Saturday night due to illness, in which Jay James gave a rendition of Queen’s The Show Must Go On, the singer managed to push through and remain in the competition. The appropriate song choice summed up what both Jay James and the judges felt, with his mentor Simon Cowell praising his determination.

Alongside his blossoming musical career Jay James regularly promotes his home town on social media, as shown in the below recent tweet, where he shows how popular the seaside town is among celebrities, posing with famed chef Jamie Oliver, in addition to supporting local events including the Saundersfoot New Year’s Day Swim.

#tbw (last year) Saundersfoot, Pembs, Wales #represent #onevillage @SfootAFC footy shirt with the man @jamieoliver

A photo posted by J A Y J A M E S (@jayjames) onNov 11, 2014 at 1:54am PST

Jay James is just one example of the musical talent that hails from Pembrokeshire and can be experienced on Saundersfoot holidays. With live music featuring regularly in local cafes and bars, and even the likes of Mumford and Sons coming to Pembrokeshire to film their music video Lover of the Light, it’s the place to come to for great Welsh and British music at its best.

Jay James’ making it into the next stage of the competition just shows how far he has come; see the below video for his first audition where he was just a humble singer from Saundersfoot.

Image Credit: Hot Gossip Italia (flickr.com)

This content was written by Emily Bray. Please feel free to visit my Google+ profile to read more stories.