X Factor hopeful Samantha Lavery leaves heartwarming impression as she dedicates Ellie Goulding audition song to her beloved granddad
Sixteen year old stuns the judges with a powerful cover of the Ellie Goulding track- while her proud Granddad stands outside
A GRANDDAD looks awfully proud as his grand-daughter storms the first round of auditions on the new series of The X Factor.
Samantha Lavery, 16, brought along her grandparents for the audition, and called her pops an "inspiration" when quizzed by head judge Simon Cowell before the start of her audition.
The wannabe starlet, who at the time of filming was still attending school, explained that he was a singer as well but had to leave the business.
She said: "He had the opportunity to do it and had to give it up to look after his family."
To the surprise of all the judges, Samantha then launches into a heartbreaking rendition of Ellie Goulding's Explosion - leaving presenter Dermot O'Leary almost in tears outside while her granddad and family beams with pride on her astounding singing voice.
Viewers will have to tune in to Saturday's series premiere to find out whether or now the would-be pop star makes it through to the next round of auditions.
Samantha, who arrived to her audition dressed all in black with dark make-up, bore an uncanny resemblance to 2010 finalist Cher Lloyd, who conincidentally just released her first music video in three years earlier this week.
The X Factor is going back to its roots this year, and doing intimate room auditions as opposed to the live studio audience it has had in recent years.
Simon and X Factor bosses have also brought back an all-star panellist consisting of Sharon Osbourne, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh in a bid to return to it's ratings top spot.
Tune in tomorrow to see if Samantha makes it through when X Factor returns, Saturday on ITV1.
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