The last time we really saw Leon Jackson was back in 2007 when he was named the winner of the X Factor and clinched the Christmas number one with the single When You Believe. Back then he was just a teenager with a fondness for skinny ties and suits – but not anymore. Now 27, the Scottish singer has undergone a big transformation as he continues to pursue his musical career in the States.
Leon now lives in LA and writes and records music. It also appears that he has been hitting the gym hard. Images on his Instagram page show him looking muscular and rugged, having overhauled his personal style and his hair do, making him almost unrecognisable from his days on the pop talent show.
Former X Factor star Leon Jackson is now pursuing his music career in LA
His marked transformation is reminiscent of another former X Factor star – Ray Quinn, who now looks radically different following his appearance on the programme.Leon, 27, was mentored by Dannii Minogue during his time in the singing competition and released a cover of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's hit song When You Believe as his winner's single. He then unveiled his follow-up track Don't Call This Love and a debut album, Right Now, which made it to number four in the charts. In 2009, it was revealed that he had lost his record deal with Sony, but he seemed to take the news in his stride.
The 27-year-old singer has undergone a dramatic transformation
"I've needed time to consolidate and make sense of everything I've experienced," he later told his fans on his website. "I needed to fall in love with music again, this process has been slow and wrenching at times but I am now feeling liberated and fulfilled for the first time in my work.
"Music is a conversation between the singer and the listener, and to that end the fans are my foundation of everything I do."