Little Mix - Little Mix - Ready to Fly

When I got home I became adamant that I wasn’t going to go to Bootcamp because there was no point. My mum was desperately trying to convince me that I’d be okay, but I wasn’t interested. In the end she told me I had nothing to lose, and I realised she was right. It would have been a massive opportunity missed.

LEIGH-ANNE:When the time came for me to go to my audition I was so nervous. I went along with a friend of mine called Jane, who was also trying out. We both got through the first round but then she didn’t get any further and I was convinced I would go the same way. I couldn’t believe it when I made it all the way to see the main judges.

When the time finally came to face Gary, Tulisa, Kelly and Louis I’d just got back from a holiday in Ibiza. I’d been partying quite a lot, so my voice was suffering a bit. I was also really tired, and I felt cross with myself that I wasn’t up to scratch.

I was wearing shorts, a vest top, socks and braces, and I was standing on stage looking out at the audience thinking, ‘I’m never going to get through this.’ I felt like I was watching the whole thing on TV. It was so weird. The first song I sang was Rihanna’s ‘Only Girl in the World’, and then I sang the Gershwin song ‘Summertime’, which I’d heard sung by Ella Fitzgerald. I was so pleased that I got to sing two songs, because I think if I’d been judged on just one track I wouldn’t have made it. Thankfully the feedback was really good. Gary said a star had been born, Louis said I had a lot of potential, Tulisa said I reminded her of a little Rihanna, and Kelly said she could see me in a girl band. That was what Jerome had told me. I couldn’t believe I was hearing it again!

I got four yes’s and I was like, ‘Come on, this is going to happen for me!’ I knew if I got past that point I could go all the way.

PERRIE:I remember being in bed at 4am one morning and my mum came and started nudging me to wake me up. I’m not a morning person so I wasn’t happy! She told me that the Newcastle auditions had been cancelled so we’d have to travel to Glasgow there and then. I had to prepare a song to sing and find an outfit in next to no time.

I was so nervous that I nearly backed out, but my mum said, ‘I’ve never asked you to do anything for me, but I want you to try and do this.’ I really didn’t want to go, and I only agreed because I didn’t want to let her down – and I said I wasn’t going to tell anyone I was going.

I was wearing a little hippy dress and a headband and I felt like I must be sticking out like a sore thumb because everyone else was looking really cool, or wearing fancy-dress costumes to try and get noticed. I thought I looked too normal stood next to Superman!

In the end I got given a golden ticket after my first audition, which meant that I was through to the next round. That’s when I thought there could be something in it after all!

Eventually I made it all the way through the initial three auditions, and then I had to wait to find out if I was going to sing in front of the judges. I was so happy, but so, so terrified.

When I got a call from The X Factor inviting me to audition for the judges I wanted to jump up and down and scream. I was shopping at the time with a friend of mine and I told her I’d got a call about a job interview. I still didn’t want people to know I was auditioning, in case I didn’t make it.

It was the best feeling being able to go home and tell my mum that I’d got through. She was so excited for me, and I was very happy – she’d promised to buy me an iPhone if I did well. It was a big incentive for me, because my phone was absolutely rubbish.

My family and I travelled all the way to Glasgow once again for the main audition, and everyone in the waiting room was singing dead loudly while they waited for their turn and seemed really confident.

I felt like I didn’t deserve to be there. I was so timid and shy, and I was getting interviewed constantly. I was literally shaking, and I turned to my dad and said I didn’t think I could go through with it. He turned round and said, ‘Look, even I’d be nervous if I had to do those interviews. You’re not used to doing them, but you know you can sing, so being on stage will be the easy part. Get up there and show them what you can do.’ That totally stuck in my head.

Just as I was about to go out to perform I heard the X Factor theme music belting out and I thought I was going to be sick. Dermot was chatting to me and being really sweet, which made me feel calmer, but I was still feeling breathless.

When I was standing at the side of the stage waiting to go on, I saw the judges and it didn’t feel like it was real. One of the researchers told us that the judges had given out loads of no’s and wanted to see something special, so I walked out with a big smile on my face and waved to try and make an impression.

I sang ‘You Oughta Know’ by Alanis Morissette, and Tulisa stopped me pretty quickly. She and Louis didn’t really like me, but Kelly said I’d blown the roof off the place, and Gary also liked me a lot. Tulisa said she wasn’t blown away by me, and I was thinking that I was going to be sent home.

I sang Beyonce’s ‘Ave Maria’ a cappella, and just before I hit a high note Kelly Rowland threw her pen in the air, and it hit Tulisa on the head! Everyone started arguing about me again and Kelly was whacking the table. Even though Louis and Tulisa weren’t totally sure about me, I got four yes’s in the end, and I ran off screaming and crying.

My family and I went and stayed in a hotel and had a nice dinner and it was so good. It was the best way to celebrate and one of the happiest moments of my life.

Jesy getting ready for The Brits

BONKERS BOOTCAMP Contents Cover Title Page Introduction 1. Life Before X Factor Little Years The Big Audition Bonkers Bootcamp Big Bonding Judges’ Houses 2. Showtime! Moving on In Makeover Madness Going Liiiiiive! All Change Girl Bands Can The Final Countdown Oh My Goodness! We Woooon! 3. Life After X Factor Cracking Christmas New Year, New Life Road Mixers Super Stylin’ Flying into the Future The Big Little Mix Q&A Thank You Copyright About the Publisher

JADE:Before going to Bootcamp I decided to go for some hypnotherapy to calm my nerves. I never used to get nervous when I sang in pubs and clubs, because it was all about having a good time and most people were drunk when you sang in front of them, but when you do The X Factor you’re being judged and it means so much. I learnt different techniques to calm myself, and one of them involved tapping different parts of my body – I must have looked a right weirdo doing that before I went up on stage!

The first night of Bootcamp was crazy. Everyone had a big party in one of the hotels, and funnily enough some of the only people who left and went to bed early were me, Jesy, Perrie and Leigh-Anne. We all knew that opportunities like that don’t come along often, and I didn’t want to blow it for the sake of a party.