18 year old Aiden Grimshaw gave an outstanding vocal performance last night that saw him make an early statement of his intensions in this year’s X Factor.

The singer admitted that he can be introverted and awkward but vowed to externalise his performance and that is exactly what he did with his rendition of Gary Jules’ Mad World’. He captured the mode of the song very well, so well in fact that Simon Cowell declared that his was the best performance of the night.

Judges Comments:

Louis: I thought we had found ourselves a popstar and know I know we have found something special in this guy, one of the best performances of the night…I think you’re the next big male popstar.

Dannii: Aiden, that performance had legs, such substance…what’s great is you had this strength and incredible vulnerability…Blackpool turn the lights on, Aiden is here!

Cheryl: Wow, I have to say I’m taken aback by that, that was the surprise performance of the night…that was fantastic, that was of popstar level already.

Simon: Interestingly this the second time I’ve sat on one of these shows and blown away by that song…it happened in America and it’s happened tonight…you are so current, the Robert Pattinson / Twilight thing, your voice reminded me of Michael Stipe, you played it perfectly and made the song original…my favourite performance of the whole night.