Mum of two Rebecca Ferguson delivered a moving performance of the song “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke on The X Factor on Saturday night.

She told the judges that she has always suffered from confidence issues but that did not stop her impressing on the night.  Nicole Scherzinger praised her saying:

“Rebecca, your voice really moves me and I love to listen to you. I think it’s okay to be vulnerable in your music but you still have to connect with the people that you’re singing to so just keep that in mind.”

In an interview with The Daily Star Ferguson admitted that her self esteem problems arose from a difficult childhood. She said:

“I have always suffered from lack of confidence and haven’t had the easiest of childhoods.

“I was bullied as a kid because my family were poor and I never had the right clothes or toys.

“I used to go to a decent school but only had one or two friends because I didn’t look like the rest of them.

“I used to walk home from school crying because of all the bullying. But through everything singing was my only escape.”

The Liverpool lass added: “Looking back I think kids avoided me because I wasn’t the same as them because I was mixed race.

“Then when I got pregnant I got down. My body changed and I felt like my life was over really.

“But now I finally feel on top again. I feel like I have got back the confidence to follow my dream.

“I want to be able to give my kids the things I never had. They are my life and priority now.”

Rebecca is definitely one to watch in this years contest.