Diana Vickers (born 30.7.1991) is a British singer and stage musical actress. She first came to the public attention when she appeared on the fifth series of X Factor, in 2008.
Childhood: Diana Vickers was raised in the village of Huncoat, near Accrington, Lancashire. She attended Westholme Private School in Blackburn, where she took A Levels in Theatre Studies, Psychology and Classics. She also took singing lessons and often took part in local talent competitions.
Showbusiness Career: Diana Vickers was selected for the 2008 X Factor finals series, having impressed the judges during the heats with her individual singing style. In week 5 of the finals, she was unable to perform, due to illness, so was given a free pass to the next round; a decision that caused some controversy amongst fans of the show. Vickers also attracted extra attention, for her relationship with fellow contestant Eoghan Quigg, though they both denied that it was anything more serious than a friendship.
Eventually, Diana Vickers was knocked out of the competition during the semi-final, finishing fourth overall. Vickers covered songs by a wide range of artists during the show, including Michael Jackson, Leonard Cohen, Sinead OConnor, Blondie, Britney Spears and Dido.
After leaving X Factor, it was originally announced that Diana Vickers would be signed by Sony BMG (under Simon Cowell's SyCo label. Eventually, though, this deal failed to come to fruition and Vickers signed instead with RCA Records. Her debut album, Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree saw Vickers working with songwriters such as Ellie Goulding, Nerina Pallot, Patrick Wolf and Dev Hynes (aka Lightspeed Champion). The lead single, 'Once', was co-written by Cathy Dennis and Eg White. Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills selected the track as his Single of the Week in March 2010. Vickers was then scheduled to perform in the Live Lounge, on Fearne Cotton's show in April 2010.
Diana Vickers' professional stage acting debut came in October 2009, when she stared ain the lead role of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. The story had previously been made into a film, with Jane Horrocks in the role. In the play, her character impersonates artists such as Edith Piaf, Shirley Bassey and Judy Garland. The final song of the play, 'Sunlight', was written by take That's Mark Owen, specifically for Diana Vickers to sing. Vickers' performance was met with a positive response from the critics and she won the 'London Newcomer of the Year' award at the Theatregoers' Choice Awards, beating Lenny Henry and Nicholas Hoult to the title.
Biography by Contactmusic.com