X Factor’s Louis Tomlinson to judge singer he met as a contestant in 2010

The X Factor judge Louis Tomlinson will be visited by a ghost from the past when a singer who auditioned for the show in the same year he did returns for another shot at the big time.

Tom Richards, 24, from South Wales, reached the judges’ houses stage of the show in 2010, the year that Tomlinson and his One Direction bandmates were put together as a group.

The pop group went on to finish third in the final behind champion Matt Cardle and runner-up Rebecca Ferguson but have gone on to sell over 50 million records worldwide.

Richards, who has been performing at birthday parties and funerals since not making the cut aged 16, will suggest he was considered for One Direction.

He will say: “At boot camp that year One Direction was formed.

“I’m not saying I could have have been in One Direction but there was a slight possibility that I could have been and my life would have been quite different today.”

The ITV show is set to turn it up to 11 on Saturday with a couple of rock singers poised to audition on Saturday.

Firefighter Richard Ryan, 25, from Kidderminster, will sing The Darkness’ I Believe In A Thing Called Love.

Ryan seems an unlikely rockstar given that he is styled by his grandmother Pat, who is his number one fan.

Also set to try and impress Tomlinson, former Take That star Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field plus head judge Simon Cowell, is 33-year-old West End performer Giovanni Spano.

He will say that he hopes to “get these teenyboppers rocking out” with a rendition of Gimme Some Lovin’ by The Spencer Davis Group.

The judges will also be treated to an audition from self-described ladies’ man Scott Wilkes, a 22-year-old flower wholesaler from Birmingham.

Swing singer Wilkes will take on Billy Paul’s Me And Mrs Jones.

He will say: “The way I act on stage, they way I walk around and the way I get involved in the audience sends women mad.”

The X Factor continues on ITV on Saturday night at 8.25pm.