X Factor winner Dalton Harris: The Jamaican vocalist given a second shot at fame

Dalton Harris has been crowned winner of the X Factor – but the Jamaican vocalist’s road to success has not been an easy one.

Eight years ago aged 16, Harris entered a similar talent competition called Digicel Rising Stars in Kingston, Jamaica.

He won and claimed the prize money of one million Jamaican dollars, equivalent to more than £6,000.

Under the mentorship of his manager Donovan Germain, Harris finished his education and four years later his track Pauper went to number one in the Jamaican dancehall chart.

Harris went on to release three albums, but his popularity began to wane.

He flew from the Caribbean to London to take part in the audition stages of this year’s X Factor, hoping to reboot his career by impressing the judges.

In front of this year’s panel – Robbie and Ayda Williams, Louis Tomlinson and Simon Cowell – the 24-year-old vocalist sang Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word by Elton John.

Harris’s performance earned him four “Yeses” and an embrace from Ayda Williams, who stood to congratulate the singer.

After successfully making it through the six chairs challenge, Harris performed Listen from the musical Dreamgirls at the judges’ houses.

He swept into the final, where his emotive duet with James Arthur led to him being crowned X Factor champion.