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THROWBACK TUESDAY: When VIP met X-Factor hopeful Joe McCaul

We sat down with the singer exactly 10 years ago!

Joe during a VIP shoot a decade ago!
Joe during a VIP shoot a decade ago!

Irish singer Joseph McCaul may be gracing our screens on the X Factor at the moment, but the Athlone native is no stranger to a talent competition – or to us here at VIP.

Joseph kicked off his latest attempt at stardom this weekend when he serenaded Simon and co. with a rendition of Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance With Somebody and despite Simon initially labelling of him as ‘corny’, the singer made his way through to next round of the competition – the six chair challenge – which airs this coming weekend. This is his second attempt at the X Factor, as he auditioned for the first time back in 2012, but to no avail.

Joseph appeared on the show last weekend
Joseph appeared on the show last weekend

Speaking to the Radio Times he said, “I had some success when I was younger. In Ireland, I would have been a household name with my sister Donna. We represented Ireland in the Eurovision in 2005. We toured with Westlife, we toured Europe, we were signed to Universal and it all fell apart. I just want it back.”

Joseph initially became ‘a household name’ and a familiar face around VIP towers when himself and his sister Donna – who appeared on The Voice US this year – won You’re A Star and competed for Ireland in the Eurovision in 2005.

“Because I was only 16, I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure and for a while I wasn’t really able to. I wanted to go home and hang around with my friends and do what teenagers do but I’ve grown up and learned to keep my head,” Joseph told VIP ten years ago, back in 2005.

There was still time for some mucking about!
There was still time for some mucking about!

The duo were so young starting out in the industry, and while they experienced jealously from their fellow peers, had some very supportive friends to help them through it. “I suppose so,” he said. “But my friends were behind me every step of the way. When we’ve been in schools, there might be a couple of lads giving me some abuse.”

As with the negatives of stardom, came the positive – women were throwing themselves at Joseph, but at the time he just wasn’t interested: “I’ve got messages from women on the website saying they love me and want to have my baby – I’d probably want to stay away from that!”

If he gets through this weekend on X Factor, he might have to be prepared to go through this whole ordeal again… how will he cope?!

Joe and his sister Donna
Joe and his sister Donna

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