X Factor singer who moved Tulisa to tears is an underwear model for Ultimo's Real Woman

By Iona Kirby and J J Anisiobi

Last updated at 5:04 PM on 18th September 2011



The X Factor singer who made straight talking judge Tulisa Contostavlos breakdown in tears on last night's show has already won a talent competition.

Mother-of-four Michelle Barrett used to be a lingerie model for Ultimo.

Just months before auditioning for The X Factor the blonde star won a place in Ultimo's Real Woman campaign and was plastered on billboards all over the United Kingdom in just a bra and knickers.

Bravo Barrett: Michelle in her undies for the campaign

Michelle told the Sunday Mirror that: 'Posing in just your pants is very full-on. But on the day the shoot was very prof­essional and the photo­graphers put me at ease really ­quickly.'
Michelle was very nervous about modelling in her undies and was having second thoughts about doing it even up until the very day of the shoot.
The dedicated mother was pleased with the final outcome and admitted that after having had four kids she is very proud of her body.
After reducing Tulisa to tears on last nights show Michelle, who has children mum to Abbie, 11, Alex, nine, Stephen, six, and Holly two, admitted that she did not know who she was.
'I must admit I didn’t know her as well as I know the other three.'

Here come the girls: The rest of the Real Women pose together

After watching Michelle sing All The Man I Need by Whitney Houston, Tulisa, 23, began to tear up.
She said: You remind me of my mum. It was brilliant.'
She then broke down in tears and was comforted by Kelly Rowland, who placed an arm around her while she wiped her face.
When she had composed herself she made the comparison between the sacrifices both Michelle, 31, and her mother had made for their children, to an overwhelmed Michelle who had also started crying.

Moving: Tulisa said that Michelle reminded her of her mother, who gave up a lot for her children

She said: 'Just like you she had such a beautiful voice and she didn't do anything with it.'

 

She appeared to have something of a connection with the hopeful too.
Tulisa said to Louis, Kelly and Gary: 'You guys are gonna think I'm nuts, this is a mummy and daughter thing going on.'
She went on: 'She had the most amazing voice and I wish she would stand up and do something about it.'
She was still wiping away tears when Michelle left the stage, and turned to her fellow judges to explain the emotional reaction.

A shoulder to cry on: Tulisa is comforted by her fellow X Factor judges

She said: 'Me and my mum have got this really powerful relationship, she's the reason that I sing.
‘She had the most powerful voice and never did anything with it - you know, she had me, she became unwell and then, you know, she spent her life still singing in the kitchen, and I wish she'd got up and done that because she has a voice just like that.
‘Amazing. I can't believe I just got that emotional.’
She playfully added: 'My friends take the mick, they say getting emotion from me is like getting blood from a stone.'

Lovely voice: Michelle was told that her voice sounded raspy

Michelle's story was so heartwarming because she had given up her dream to take care of her four children, and felt like The X Factor was her last chance.

The mother took to the stage after telling producers: 'I don't think I will get this opportunity ever again.'
She was shaking when she came onto the stage but her nerves had calmed by the time she was called on to perform.

Emotional: Tulisa broke down in tears after mother of four Michelle Bennett's audition

Speaking about her children, she said: 'That's my biggest accomplishment to date.'
When she was asked why she had left it so long to try and forge a successful singing career, the full-time mum gave a frank answer.

She said: 'I don't think I tried hard enough to be honest. They're at an age now where i can try to pursue my dream, so I'm trying.'

The other judges were equally thrilled with the moving performance.

Kelly said: I love the raspiness in your voice.'

And Gary said: 'Michelle, I can't believe you've hidden that voice away while you've had four lovely children.'

When it came to the vote, Tulisa's response was simple.

Raspy: Michelle performed All The Man I Need by Whitney Houston

She said: 'Massive, massive yes from me.'

Tulisa had forewarned fans that she had an emotional outburst while filming the auditions stage of the TV show.

She told The Mirror: 'The last thing I thought was that I’d be crying on national TV.

'It happened early in the auditions and it wasn’t just a Cheryl tear. We’re talking floodgates. I couldn’t stop.

'This one person ­performed and all the emotions built up. It was overwhelming – they ­really got me, then there was the realisation I was ­actually doing the X Factor, that my life had changed, and it all came out.'


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