When the broadcaster first burst on to British TV on the reality singing show, he was derided and mocked by the press. It wasn’t until a decade later that anyone learned what had actually been happening behind the scenes
Rylan Clark, better known simply as Rylan, was actually born Ross Clark. The former X Factor contestant, Celebrity Big Brother winner, Radio 2 DJ, This Morning presenter, Gogglebox regular, podcaster and author couldn’t be more clear about the distinction. Rylan is OTT, supremely camp, larger than life – the man who hysterically wept a show’s worth of tears when Nicole Scherzinger put him through to the live finals of The X Factor in 2012. This is the Rylan whose dream was to be famous. And then there is Ross – quieter, super-smart, capable of trouncing politicians in debate and allergic to the idea of celebrity.
With such polarities, perhaps it was inevitable Clark would run into trouble. And sure enough he did. After finishing fifth on The X Factor, he became a TV fixture. He never stopped working. Then, three years ago, he had a breakdown from which he never expected to recover. But he has done – with style, and a huge amount of support from the public.
