Rebecca Ferguson

**Rebecca Caroline Ferguson** is the runner-up in the seventh series of *The X Factor*. She is an English singer-songwriter, and dated former One Direction member, Zayn Malik.

## Early Life

Rebecca Ferguson was born on 21 July 1986, at Mill Road Hospital, Liverpool, to Jamaican immigrants. She spent the first two years of her life in Huyton. She has a younger brother, Sam. The family then moved to a house on an estate in Woolton Village when her parents separated. Rebecca Ferguson received her primary education at Woolton Primary School and her secondary education at secondary school and sixth form college Gateacre Community Comprehensive School. As a teenager she later moved to Anfield. That was when she became pregnant with her first child Lillie May. Two years later she had her son, Karl. Ferguson has said her family supported her ambition to become a professional singer and helped her through two previous *X Factor* auditions. She also revealed that she was "bullied as a kid because my family was poor and I never had the right clothes or toys." Despite having a difficult start in life, the hopeful insisted she wanted people to focus solely on her talent. Ferguson also revealed that as a child she always wanted to be a pop star.

Ferguson is a qualified legal secretary, having studied at Hugh Baird College, Bootle. She later commented, "when you have kids, you become a mum and forget about you as a person so I put my dreams of singing aside. There is only so long you can chase the dream when you are a mum. I wanted the kids to see me do well and be a better role model. They were always seeing their mummy fail. That was why I started college."

## Career

After finishing as runner up in the seventh series of *The X Factor UK*, Rebecca Ferguson's debut album *Heaven* was released in 2011 to commercial and critical success, going platinum in the UK and Ireland. Her second album, "Freedom" spawned the top 20 single "I Hope". Ferguson revealed her two children were the inspiration behind the album. Her third album, "Lady Sings The Blues", was released in 2015, charting at #7 in the UK. She has currently recorded her fourth album, entitled *Superwoman* which was released on October 7, 2016.

## Relationship with Zayn

Zayn and Rebecca were photographed leaving a nightclub together in April 2011. Media speculated they were an item and they confirmed they were dating in May 2011. By July, break up rumours had already

begun and the pair later confirmed they were only together for four months.

In November 2011, Ferguson addressed the media interest, saying: "When I was in a relationship with Zayn it was quite hard, but it comes with it. Me and Zayn just grew apart. I wish him all the best." In 2011, Malik also commented, "Even though it was a mutual decision, when you have a proper heartache like that, I don't think you fully get over it. We're still friends and talk all the time."

Ferguson called her relationship with Zayn her "first mistake" after becoming famous, in a 2013 interview, stating "That was my first mistake. I was 23, he was 18. Of course, if it was a 23-year-old guy dating an 18-year-old girl, no one would have batted an eyelid, but this way around was a big deal, apparently. I didn't realise that. I was just a hippy, free-loving person, but that's not a good thing to be in this industry. You can't just follow your heart.".

In 2015, she again was asked to comment on Zayn and stated "I very much like to think 'live and let live' and I wish Zayn well. I hope he is happy. I am not one to look back on the past in a negative way. At one point it was really lovely being with him, so I wish him all the best."

## Discography

### Albums

* *Heaven* (2011)
* *Freedom* (2013)
* *Lady Sings the Blues* (2015)
* *Superwoman* (2016)

## Tours

* *The X Factor Live Tour* (2011)
* *Heaven* Tour (2012)
* *US* Tour (2013)
* *Freedom* Tour (2014)
* *Lady Sings the Blues* Tour (2016)
* *Superwoman* Tour (2016)

## External Links

* @RebeccaFMusic — Official Twitter
* Rebecca Ferguson — Official Youtube
* Rebecca Ferguson — Official Facebook

## References

1. ↑ Rebecca on Zayn
2. ↑ 2015 interview