Singer Tim Rossington applied to The X Factor after moving to Newcastle and being inspired to take his passion further.

“I grew up in Glen Innes as the youngest of seven, and was always involved in music and always had a passion for it,” he said.

“Since I moved to Newcastle, I’ve gathered a bit more interest in music and I’m more inspired to do something with it.” 

Rossington said he had played gigs around Newcastle while he was studying media production at university.

“People told me I wasn’t too bad at it and I picked up some feedback, so I thought I’d apply,” he said. “A show like this can create great exposure. The most important thing for me was that I initially did it for myself and to make myself proud. 

“I wanted to dive in the deep end and give it a crack and see what it was all about. From the media production side, I thought it would be really interesting, too. What have I got to lose? I’ve got a lot of experience to gain from this.” 

Rossington made it through last night’s live audition with his lively performance of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

“I found it was a good choice because I realised I wasn’t going to be able to just stand at a microphone,” he said. “I was overwhelmed by the crowd – they started to get into it and I started hyping it up really early, then just played it by ear in the end.”

He said his music was soul and blues, but agreed with The X Factor judge Redfoo that he did have a little “country twang”.

Judges also told him he had a unique voice with a bit of a different tone, but Rossington said that was nothing he had worked on; it was how he naturally sang.

Of the two boys and five girls in his clan, Rossington’s sister Katie is the only member of the family still in Glen Innes.

She is a PE teacher at Glen Innes High School and has encouraged  her classes to support her brother. He now moves onto the bootcamp section of the show.