Music Features

When Luton school teacher Beverley Trotman went to Cardiff for the X-Factor auditions earlier this year, little did she know how far she'd get.

But Beverley, who teaches at Icknield Primary School, got right through to the final 12 and spent six weeks doing the live Saturday night shows before being voted off.

And even then it was a close thing. The four judges couldn't agree whether it should be her or girl band Hope who should leave the show so the decision rested with the public and sadly Beverley had polled the least votes.

Ronnie Barbour with Beverley Trotman

Beverley, who has been singing in choirs since the age of four and is a member of the award winning Kingdom Choir, is now back at home with husband Jonathan, and children Tianna, 12 and Luke, 10. She told BBC Three Counties Ronnie Barbour all about her experience and also answered his "Nine Questions". 

There are probably many people out there who think "I should have voted for her" but they probably thought you'd be OK didn't they?

Beverley: There is that possibility yes, but I want to say thank you so much to all the people who did vote for me. I cannot thank those people enough - I wouldn't have had six great weeks without them. Unfortunately for me, maybe people did think I was quite safe. People certainly didn't expect that Sharon would let it go to deadlock - but all I can say is, thanks for the votes man, thanks for the votes!

When you decided to go for the X-Factor, was it because you wanted fame or did you just want to sing?

Beverley: Basically, my life started like this. My mum was 15/16 when she had me, she was very young and she gave me to my grandmother. She left me and went and married etc, she was young and was trying to find herself. Then my mother died when I was about 5 or 6. Then my grandmother died last year on Mother's Day and then my natural father who I didn't know at all, I'd only met him a couple of times, died in June of the same year. So for me, something just clicked. Life is just too short, so go for it!

When I was in school assemblies singing my children always said "Mrs Trotman, you should do X-Factor" but I was always so afraid of it but then [suddenly I thought] life was too short, so go and do it Bev, so I did it!

Beverley Trotman

How hard is it to keep real when the X-Factor takes over your life?

Beverley: Very difficult. My husband Jonathan is the biggest critic. If I sing something he'll say "no that's not quite right". He is brilliant because he will tell it like it is. When you're in that [the X-Factor] environment, everybody says, "Oh that's fantastic, oh that's amazing, oh that's brilliant" and you know full well that there was a couple of notes that weren't quite right. Then they wait until that last minute on national TV to say, "well it was a bit pitchy" and [you feel like saying] "Why didn't you just tell me that before - come on!" So for me, being surrounded by people all the time that tell me everything's great, for me, that's not real.

It's very difficult I think for a lot of young people in that show to remain true to themselves while they are there, but I'm so proud because I went in saying to myself "I want to remain true to who I am, I am not going to let the X-Factor define who I am. I'm going to sing my songs and do my absolute best".

When you've tasted the whole thing of building up to Saturday night and performing live - what's it like when that stops?

Beverley: For me, I've always been involved in my local community. I'm a school teacher in the town and I also ran a youth gospel choir for four years for children from about 7-18. For me that was really hard work but I really enjoyed it, for me that was just as good as going on the stage. I also work with the Luton Community Gospel Choir so for me I don't need that [the X-Factor] kind of stage to keep working or to get the most out of my life. I put a lot into the community, I love it and I will keep doing it. I'm just going to keep doing my thing out there.

So, are you hopeful that you can carry on performing?

Beverley: I will carry on performing. I sing in my church practically every week, I love it. For me that's what it's about. As I said, I don't necessarily need the X-Factor stage, it took me four years to even go on that kind of thing and that kind of environment is not where I'm at home, it's not where I'm at my best. I had six great weeks on that show but in my local community, in my school, with my family, that's where I'm at my best!