TED EXCLUSIVE: Shelley Smith is “absolutely lovin’ life”

It’s fair to say that #teamTED is going X Factor crazy right now. But who can blame us? Exeter has had its best ever representation in the competition in the form of self taught yodeler Barclay Beales, sultry siren Shelley Smith and teenage sweetheart/rocker Luke Friend. 

On Friday I caught up with Luke to find out how he’s doing, and will do so again this week, but today I had the pleasure of chatting with the gorgeous Shelley Smith to see what she’s been up to since leaving the competition.

Since leaving the competition she’s been traveling around the country performing and making guest appearances on TV shows such as Celebrity Juice and ITVs brand new show ‘Sunday Side Up’ hosted by Stephen Mulhern.

Talking to Shelley was an absolute pleasure and, as we see more and more of her, one I hope to repeat again and again.

OJ - So then Shelley, what was the ‘X Factor thing’ like?
SS - Absolutely incredible. Apart from having my little girl, it was the best experience of my life. Everybody behind the scenes, all the contestants, all the judges, in fact every single person you can possibly think of that’s a part of the show are so lovely and welcoming. I learnt so much, it’s just been the biggest experience of my life!

OJ - What’ve you been up to since you left the competition?
SS - Oh my goodness - what haven’t I done? I’ve done Celebrity Juice, Sunday Side Up with Steve Mulhern and I was the first guest on the show ever which was an absolute hoot. I’ve been doing gigs all over the country, I did G.A.Y and Lady GaGa turned up which was absolutely incredible! It’s just been a whirlwind!

OJ - This is all pretty life changing stuff Shelley...
SS - [It is] massively to be honest. When you’re actually in the ‘X Factor bubble’ you don’t realise just how big it all is. When you come out of the house, everyone kind of points at you and screams things like ‘I love you’ at you and there I am looking behind me thinking “who are they screaming at” and it’s me! The support has been incredible, especially here in Exeter. The papers, the people, everybody got behind me - not enough though because they booted me out! How very dare they! I’m so incredibly grateful though and its just been incredible since leaving. Everywhere I go everyone is lovely and I’m just so humbled by it all.

OJ - Has this experience taught you anything? Not that you needed to be taught!
SS - People keep asking me this and you know what, I’m 35 now so I kind of know who I am already, but I think the biggest thing to remember when you’re on the show is just to be yourself. I had lots of hate from people on Twitter and I’m pretty new to it all so I found that quite hard. I had people taking the mickey out of the way I look but you have to just remember who you are and that you’re a good person. I say to all of the contestants that you just have to remember who you are and to just be yourself and that’s the most important thing that you can do.

OJ - Who was your best pal inside the house?
SS - I love them all! I’ve got a genuine love for every single one of them. I have a massive bond with the 2 overs, we went all the way through boot camp together, we went through judge’s houses together so Sam Bailey and Lorna I’m very very close to. I still speak to Sam every other day, as soon as she can text me she’ll text me - I love girls very very much.

OJ - Were you pretty shocked to see Kingsland Road go this weekend?
SS - Massively. Massively shocked. That’s not to say that it was the wrong decision and that it should’ve been someone else. Its really hard for me because I’ve met them and spent time with them and I’m still very much in contact with them all so its for me to say why any of them should have gone because I have genuine reasons why all of them should still be in the show. I know that Kingsland Road are going to have a massive career, they’re so talented and they have this opportunity to make the best of a bad situation.

OJ - What about poor Sam? He’s having a pretty hard time of it isn’t he?
SS - I love my Sam, I absolutely adore him. We speak every single day and he works so hard. They keep going on about it on the show but he really does. He knows he’s not the best singer and he’s said it himself; but what Sam has got is the ‘X Factor’. The shows not about having the best voice, it’s about having something about you. People want to watch you, people want to talk to you and that’s what Sam’s got.

OJ - Who’s going to win Shelley?
SS -  I hate this question [laughs]! Its so hard because again I’ve got genuine reasons for all of them. I think Tamera is a ready made pop star, I think Nicholas is an absolute superstar - he’s sixteen years old and sings like an angel. I genuinely think that its so tough to call this year. As the competition goes on everyone people are just getting better and stronger. Luke from Devon, oh my goodness, he’s coming into his own now. I think at first maybe he was trying to find his feet and his song choices weren’t the best but over the last couple of weeks he’s been incredible. They keep calling him a dark horse but he’s not, for me he’s never been a dark horse he’s been a contender.