Emma Chawner shot to fame when she auditioned on The X Factor with her doting parents, but now she has revealed she is an orphan after both her mum and dad passed away
A former X Factor star says she has been left orphaned after her parents died.
The X Factor has launched the careers of the likes of Rylan, Fleur East and One Direction. But Simon Cowell's talent show has also aired some infamous auditions where singers failed to impress the judges - or had bust-ups.
Emma Chawner was one of the first acts to audition for the judges on the hit ITV show back in 2007. The star, who quietly hummed Celine Dion's legendary track "My Heart Will Go On", caused a stir when her parents jumped into the audition room to defend her after she was given the boot.
But now, nearly twenty years on from her first audition, Emma has now revealed that her parents - who leapt to her defence when she was just 18 - have sadly passed away. It came following the death of her father, less than a year after she lost her mum, and her dog.
Describing 2024 as "the year from hell", Emma confirmed that doting dad Philip had tragically passed away in hospital on Sunday (December 15). In the post, she revealed that Philip had suffered a heart attack, which had landed him in hospital, but despite the best efforts of medical professionals, he sadly died.
It came just 11 months after her mum also suddenly passed away in her sleep back in January at the age of 73. To add to her tragic losses, her loving pooch also suddenly died just one day after her mother.
Taking to fundraising platform GoFundMe, the star has since launched an online campaign to help raise vital funds for his funeral. Writing in her appeal, Emma penned: "My dad was a lovely caring respectful man and I miss him so much."
"I only just lost my mum back in January this year and also my dog the day after my mum, so now I don't have any family left," she added in the heartbreaking update. "I hate asking for help put this time I have no choice."
Emma, who is now aged 35, has since gone on to have a decent career in television after she was rinsed in the auditions room by Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue, Cheryl and Simon Cowell. After her stint on the show, Emma bagged spots on the likes of The Jeremy Kyle Show, Nightmare Neighbours Next Door and Britain's Fattest Family.
Together with her family, Emma and her loved ones were given the chance to lose weight and keep it off, with the help of ITV presenter Lorraine Kelly - as part of her Big Fat challenge. In 2020, Emma revealed an impressive drop of 16-stone with Lorraine over a decade after she started her weight loss journey.
She explained to the Scottish TV presenter that she was motivated to shed the pounds after being tormented by online trolls for years. Stress also played a part after her doting parents decided to split in a shock move in 2015.
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