3 September 2005
DailyRecord
By Cath Bennett
Scary Scot has judges shaking
IT'S the contestants who usually get a fright on the X Factor - but Scots hopeful Gwen Smith left the judges cowering in their seats.
Gwen, 24, thought she'd impress at auditions for the ITV talent show with her rock chick looks and unique twist on Donna Summer's Hot Summer Nights.
But judges Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell thought they were listening to a scene from a1974 horror classic after Gwen's gravelly-voiced efforts.
Sharon said: "It sounds like the voice of The Exorcist Louis added: "I'm quite scared."
Gwen, of Troon, Ayrshire, travelled to Belfast for the auditions and is the first Scot to be televised for the new series.
When she insisted she had the X Factor, Simon asked her to sing Barry Manilow's Can't Smile Without You.
Having cringed throughout, the music mogul said: "That was just hideous."
Gwen retorted: "But that's what the X Factor's about - having a different image."
Simon said: "But not one that's scary."
Not surprisingly, Gwen got a resounding knock-back from all three of the judges.
Undeterred, karaoke queen Gwen headed for the X Factor pod, where contestants can voice their frustration to the cameras.
Instead of mouthing off at the judges, she settled for scaring viewers by singing again.
A show insider said: "She was really bad - she just kind of croaked her way through the songs.
"There was something quite weird about her. Louis, in particular, was really scared of her.
"But she seemed to take the fact she didn't get through quite well."
Her efforts may leave the judges wondering what to expect when they hit Edinburgh's Corn Exchange in the next round of their hunt.
This year's auditions have seen a range of obscure wannabes singing their hearts out in the belief they have the X Factor.
They have included 83-year-old Dorothy Morrison who, despite being hard of hearing and almost blind, made it though to the next round.
Robert King, 31, shocked judges by screaming his way through Jet's Are You Gonna Be My Girl, while Dairy farmer Justin Watson-Hermes tried to impress by dressing as a woman.
You can see Gwen on the X Factor on ITV tonight at 7pm
