X Factor legend looks unrecognisable as he plays the guitar shirtless 15 years after huge fame on the show

THE X Factor produced its fair share of pop stars over the years - and one of those who found fame on the show is looking totally different.

John Grimes, one half of duo Jedward, has ditched his shirt and picked up a guitar to wow his fans.

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Looking more mature than he did in his X Factor days, the 31-year-old star recorded himself performing a tribute to fellow Irish musician Sinead O'Connor.

On Tuesday, thousands of mourners turned out to honour Sinead in Ireland following her recent death aged 56.

John opted to sing her hit song Nothing Compares 2 U while strumming an acoustic guitar in front of a huge bay window.

With his trademark quiff brushed to one side, he was wearing just a denim pair of shorts and black socks as he belted out the tune for Instagram.

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John shot to fame in 2009 alongside his identical twin brother Edward. The siblings were just 17 at the time and performed as 'John and Edward'.

X Factor mogul Simon Cowell described the boys as "not very good and incredibly annoying" following their audition.

But thanks mainly to Irish guest judge Louis Walsh, the brothers made it through to the final 12 contestants and the live shows - much to many viewers' dismay.

They finished in third place and were immediately taken on by Walsh, before releasing their debut single as Jedward - a mash-up of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury's Under pressure and Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby.

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A very successful tour of Ireland followed, plus an ITV2 documentary called Jedward: Let Loose.

To date, the twins have released nine singles and three albums (Planet Jedward, Victory and Young Love). The first two albums went double platinum in Ireland.

In 2011, they represented their home nation Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in eighth place.

They even starred in two series' of Celebrity Big Brother, sparking friendships with both reality star Gemma Collins and American Pie actress Tara Reid.

As of 2019, John and Edward had an estimated joint worth of £5.7m.

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