Hayley Orrantia first burst onto the scene as a member of country-pop girl group, Lakoda Rayne, on the first season of The X Factor USA - and she's come a long way since.
The star, 26, has become a household name for her role as Erica Goldberg in the long-running sitcom The Goldbergs, but that doesn't mean she's forgotten her time on the hit talent show or the man behind it… Simon Cowell.
Talking to HELLO! Hayley opened up about her 2011 series and revealed the surprising capacity in which she'd want to work with the British music executive again.
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Hayley - who is still a passionate singer and songwriter - entered the competition as a solo artist but eventually ended up as one member of a band assembled by the judges and then mentored by Paula Abdul.
When asked if she would ever consider going onto a show like The X Factor or working with Simon again she revealed: "I think because I've been behind the curtain - and while it's so good to give people opportunities - I also feel there's a lot there to be reworked.
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"It was more of a TV show than it was giving people a genuine leg up in the industry.
"If I were to ever do get the opportunity to do something with Simon Cowell, I'd love to be on the executive side of things.
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"Once you see behind the curtain it's hard to un-see and I think having someone who has been through the process and learned from it could be really beneficial to the contestants."
Hayley is no stranger to the audition process and when it wasn't for her music - something she is still incredibly passionate about - it was for acting.
Surprisingly Hayley - who also flips houses with her dad - revealed to HELLO! that she never really considered having an acting career - in fact, stage school made her cry!
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© Photo: Getty ImagesHayley was in Lakoda Rayne
"I would leave the classes in tears," she said. "I didn't know all the techniques and it got in my head."
But Hayley continued in the hopes that she could land a TV show in the same vein as Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, and it would help drive her musical career forward.
© Photo: Getty ImagesHayley was on the first season of Simon Cowell's The X Factor USA
Hayley may not have got her own show, but she did land her a long-running role in The Goldbergs and eight seasons later she couldn't be happier.
"I feel utterly blessed to be on a show like this, with such wonderful people," said Hayley. "It's so fun on set and to be surrounded by such kind and hilarious people who feel like family, is special.
"We have created a bond over the last eight years and that is why fans see a genuine connection on the show."
As for season nine? "Oh for sure, I hope so," she said.
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