Ché Chesterman, an Essex native, resigned from his work as a supermarket shelf stacker at the age of eighteen to pursue a singing career, and he went on to participate in the X Factor’s twelfth season. Since then, his career as a singer-songwriter has taken off, and he now has 100,000 Facebook and Instagram followers, as well as a regular schedule of gigs in the UK and beyond. Although Chesterman did not win the X Factor, his tragic first audition paved the path for a life-changing encounter.

Chesterman admitted to being “very nervous” before his 2015 audition, but he went confidently onto the stage and seemed cool and ready to sing. He identified himself and expressed his desire to revive vintage soul music by mimicking performers such as Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder. But here’s the first twist: When he announced that he was about to perform a Sam Smith song, Simon Cowell interrupted him mid-Soong and asked if he could sing something else.

Instead of singing “Who You Are” by Jessie J., Chesterman accepted, albeit with surprise. Chesterman’s unique, passionate voice captivated the audience. All four assessors seemed completely taken away by the end of Chesterman’s remarkable performance; they had underestimated his tremendous vocal range and mastery of his voice. After passing the audition, he finished in third place overall.

Chesterman sang an incredible performance of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” during his time on the X Factor. He sang it in order to make it to the finals. Judge Nick Grimshaw even sprang up to applaud Chesterman’s performance when he concluded, demonstrating his emotionally driven performances and amazing vibrato-soaked voice, which enabled him to advance to the final.