In the third season of The X Factor, he finished behind Leona Lewis, but Ray Quinn’s life has been a bit different.
Ray Quinn captivated TV audiences with his vintage swing style on The X Factor’s third series in 2006, nearly clinching the title, finishing second to vocal powerhouse Leona Lewis.
However, the now-37 year old star is now barely recognisable from the days when he filled venues and was stopped in the street. His signature Elvis-style jet-black hair no longer sports a quiff and his once youthful face is now adorned with a thick, black beard. Plus both arms and the backs of his hands are heavily tattooed.
The star, born in Merseyside, went on from X Factor to release a chart-topping album, Doin’ It My Way – featuring tracks like Ain’t That A Kick In The Head and My Way – but after a 30-date UK tour, he was dropped by Simon Cowell’s Syco record label at the end of 2007. Unfazed, Ray showcased his impressive skating abilities on Dancing On Ice in 2009 and the All Star series in 2014, winning both shows.
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His fame didn’t stop there – roles in pantomime and musical theatre followed, and in 2018 Ray returned to his soap opera roots. Having previously portrayed the troubled Anthony Murray in Channel 4’s Brookside from 2000 to 2003, he then took on the role of Jonny Baxter in Hollyoaks, departing a year later.
In his personal life, Ray became engaged to his girlfriend, dancer and teacher Emily Fletcher in 2020, and the pair announced the arrival of their daughter, Summer Reign, in September 2022. Ashleigh also has a son from a previous relationship. The couple married in October 2023, with Emily describing the day as ‘a magical fairytale’ and on Thursday, 2 October, Ray shared a pic of the happy day on his Instagram.
He and actress Emma Stephens had been married in Barbados in 2012, but they broke up in February 2015 after giving birth to their son, Harry.
Ray’s ‘normal’ roots don’t seem to have changed, as he revealed he was working as a courier for Hermes’ parcel delivery service when the Coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020, earning £11.40 per hour.
No one can be fussy about their jobs, a source told The Sun at the time. A hard-working youngster named Ray enjoys being out, doing things, and meeting new people.
Ray and his brothers Rob and Darren started working in the family carpet fitting business a year later.
Although his father tragically passed away from cancer in 2020, Ray told The Mirror: “Dad knew I was going to help Rob and encouraged me to do it – but laughed when I said I’d lifted my first tool. When I first started, I actually went to work in my dad’s old uniform. He’d always said you can work your way out of anything; to keep your head up high – and that’s what I’ve done. It was good to be with my family during that difficult time.”
Now the star has announced a string of seasonal shows, Ray Quinn: A Swinging Christmas. They kick off in Liverpool on 12 November, and finish in Luton on 20 December.
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Source: Mirror
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