There’s so much pressure, but I think if you really love it, if you truly love it, and it’s your passion to sing, then that’s what will get through. I think if you don’t have that, you’ll realise quickly. – Fleur East
I can’t ignore what I grew up listening to. My parents used to listen to Michael Jackson non-stop. They used to listen to Luther Vandross, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder. – Fleur East
I remember, one day, I just printed out about a hundred CVs, and I was running around London. I was going to modeling agencies, temping agencies, anything. I was so desperate. – Fleur East
Everyone assumes it is just ‘Wendy who works at Tesco’ who goes to audition for ‘X Factor,’ and then their lives are changed, wham, like that. Me, I am someone who has tried for years in the music industry. – Fleur East
My mum is black, my dad is white, and when I was a teenager, people would say, ‘So what are you? Are you black? Or white? What are you more of?’ – Fleur East
I’ve been hyper-conscious about staying away from rubbish. I don’t eat white bread, white rice or cereal unless it’s porridge. – Fleur East
It’s funny because the perception is that the typical ‘X Factor’ contestant is the person who’s just working 9 to 5 and just decides to one day go and audition. So yeah, for me, it was a very different story. – Fleur East
I got to the point where I’d featured on songs; I’d done backing singing for major artists. I’d done all these shows, but it was always for other people. – Fleur East
I didn’t grow up in a wealthy family at all. Being at home all day and watching movies, that was a luxury. – Fleur East
I used to hate performing in front of anybody, but I was forced to sing in front of family, at family gatherings. Then it slowly developed, and I started to love it. – Fleur East
Even writing verses from my first album, there were songs that I didn’t use because I just felt that they weren’t really for me. But I think that happens naturally when you write songs. You’re in a different mood in every session. There’s so many songs out there that could potentially be used by other artists. – Fleur East
My mum is from Ghana, and she used to play highlife music in the house, and my dad used to listen to music. – Fleur East
I’d love to write with some people from the U.K., like Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande… there’s a very long list. – Fleur East
I’ve always loved working out. When I was little, my dad used to make me and my sister do 10 press-ups every day before we brushed our teeth in the morning. It was like a boot camp! Then I did a lot of athletics at school and was a dancer. – Fleur East
Even before I auditioned for ‘X Factor’ the second time, I was doing a lot of dance music. – Fleur East
I do body conditioning, spinning and yoga. On the treadmill, I’ll do intervals of running flat and then on incline. I’ll do that for an hour. – Fleur East
I normally hit the gym five times a week. I tend to do half an hour of cardio – on the treadmill or a spin class – then head for the weights. I do a lot of core work, obviously! – Fleur East
I’ve worked in a call centre and as a nightclub waitress. I served champagne to Rihanna. – Fleur East
