X Factor farmer Hannah Marie Kilminster slammed as a ‘fraud’ as viewers uncover she was a backing singer on Britain’s Got Talent. See the video

Hannah Marie Kilmonster kept the fact she’s a trained singer hidden during her audition (Picture: ITV)

Farmer Hannah Marie Kilminster might have ditched the wellies and the tweed for her X Factor audition – but it seems she’s more used to the stage and bright lights than she first let on.



The 30-year-old hopeful claimed she’s never pursued her dream of singing because of disparaging teachers so she stuck to a life of mucking out cows, pigs and chickens on her family farm in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

But after blowing judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw away with a powerful rendition of Queen’s Somebody To Love, she became quite the talking point for her country girl-to-pop star transformation.

But it turns out as well as once appearing as a backing singer on Britain’s Got Talent in 2011, she’s performed as a lead soprano with Simon Cowell’s classical music group Il Divo in the same year, has toured with various musicals and has a whole hose of other musical credits to her name.

(Picture: ITV)

And disgruntled viewers have been left fuming, branding her a ‘fraud’ and the show a ‘fix’ as her previous connections to Syco emerge and her innocent ‘country bumpkin’ image destroyed.

Details of her previous music credits are listed on her website, while she also has a profile on a talent site Star Now.

Some even claimed to have recognised her after seeing her in one of the shows listed on her website:

Soon, others were blasting Simon Cowell for appearing to pull the wool over viewers’ eyes:

(Picture: Thames/Syco/Fremantle Media)

More and more about her past was soon being thrown about on Twitter as people began wanting to know her background:

While one user, who appears to know Hannah, suggested she’d been told to keep quiet about her training by the show:

‘This is very different to what I normally look like. I work on my family farm in Gloucestershire. We have pigs, cows, sheep and chickens. Life on the farm is filthy – I muck out and clean.’

And when Nick Grimshaw asked her if she wants to stay living on the farm, she said: ‘My teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I was at school. I remember telling her that I wanted to be a singer but she said no. She told me that wasn’t a realistic. I don’t know how I’ve even got the confidence to be here if I’m being honest.’

Perhaps that’s something to do with the fact she’s been on stage loads of times? Hmmm.

Here’s what the judges had to say:

‘I mean bloody hell! Where did that come from?’ – Simon.

‘Good vegetables!’ – Hannah joked.

‘I’m slightly speechless here because I really, really wasn’t expecting that. You have an incredible voice but my god, you’ve just shaken up this competition.’ –Simon.

‘I was so shocked and surprised because I thought you were going to do a soft song and then your voice came out and I had to hold on to my hair before it was blown off. Your voice is like a jet plane taking off!’ – Rita.

‘You’re like a country bumpkin. You are so pretty, you have a lovely aura and I don’t think you even need the microphone. You are a fantastic singer and this category needed you.’ – Cheryl.

‘That was awesome. We need a Hannah farm so we can breed singers like this!’ – Nick.

‘That’s the best idea you’ve had so far. So we grow contestants? I love that.’ –Simon.

Watch her audition here:

A spokesman for The X Factor has been contacted for comment.

Watch The Performance here;

Metro UK