After having been given good odds to win it all at X Factor UK, Jamaican Dalton Harris, 24, wowed his fans and took the prize they always knew he would win. Harris was a finalist in Louis Tomlinson’s Boys category and had impressed the judges every week of the competition with his performances of “Crown” and “Feeling Good.”

Harris is part of a very large family in Jamaica. He and his 22 brothers and sisters grew up in poverty. At the age of 16, he won the Jamaican equivalent of X Factor, bringing home a prize of J$1 million, which helped the family. Following this success, he continued his education under the eye of his mentor and manager Donovan Germain and signed with Germain’s Penthouse Records where he released three albums and toured the United States and Mexico. In 2014, Harris released a single “Pauper,” which rose to Number One on the Jamaican dancehall charts. He has also released three albums.

For his audition for the X Factor, Harris sang “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” by Elton John. He stated that he had been preparing for the audition for seven years, describing it as the most important moment in his life to date. His preparation paid off when he won four “yes” votes and was rewarded with a hug from Ayda and Louis after his performance.

Harris has been a favorite with the fans and judges alike during the competition, and UK bookies have stated that the title seems to be his to lose. They noted they would be very surprised if he was not named the 2018 X Factor UK winner.

The ever-controversial Simon Cowell had even angered some fans of other contestants by stating that Harris “probably” would win, despite his mentoring of another contestant, and Harris also admitted to having received some “secret advice” from Robbie Williams before the finals, for which he thanked him. “He’s always been a supporter,” Harris said.

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