Betting Odds for Rachel

Rachel Hylton Still Favourite. Boylesports still have Rachel Hylton as their 7/1 favourite and it’s not hard to see why. The mother of five left the judges very impressed and she could have a bright future ahead of her.

Long Lost Sister

The long lost sister of X Factor auditionee, Rachel Hylton has put out a plea for her to get in touch.The sisters lost touch when they were just children, but Rachel’s sister Leanora Lynch has spoken out about her desire to meet up again.“Rachel and I were really close as little children, but the link was our dad and that ended,” Leanora told the Daily Star. “He was the unifying factor until I was eight years old, then our mothers fell out fighting over him.
“That was almost 23 years ago and we never saw each other again. I’ve tried to track her down through MySpace and Facebook, but she’s not on there. She is an auntie now who has never seen her nephew or niece - my children - and I have never seen her children.”Lynch also tried to assure her sister that she has no ulterior motive in getting in touch:“I haven’t suddenly come out of the woodwork because she was on X Factor and she’s famous,” she insisted. “I just hope she understands that. If she doesn’t want to get in contact I will appreciate it’s her choice and have to accept it.”

Sob Stories are BANNED on XFactor

Simon Cowell says he is banning bleeding-heart sob stories from his TV shows.
The X Factor boss insists that from now on he's looking only for talent - not tales of tragedy and misery. He said: "We are attempting to move away from focusing too much on the sob stories.
This year, it's all about trying to go back to raw talent. "The stories got out of hand and people were starting not to believe them. It had got to the stage that people were trying harder to gain sympathy than to get praise for their singing." The last big reality TV show - Britain's Got Talent - was filled with cries for sympathy. Filipina club singer Madonna Decena was a prime example. She made it to the semi-finals after telling how she had left her two daughters behind in the Far East to seek her fortune in the UK. Judge Amanda Holden was left in tears as Madonna sang I Will Always Love You. Cowell's move will delight judge Louis Walsh, who had urged him to make changes to The X Factor.

XFactor Conviction Rules

The X Factor has stringent rules about contestants appearing on their show. I understand that anyone with outstanding Police matters are automatically disqualified from the competition. I am pretty sure that given her self confessed background that the producers would have made sure that all her convictions were thoroughly investigated.

Rachel Update

Under the tight control of X Factor bosses, Rachel was encouraged to give an interview to a Sunday newspaper in which she detailed her terrible childhood and adolescence and, once again, spoke of her remorse and determination to stay on the right path.
She pinpointed the birth of her fourth child, a boy called Tishon, in June 2002, as the moment that she turned over a new leaf.

'From that moment on I said: "Enough is enough!" I changed,' she revealed.
Nobody could deny that Rachel is to be heartily commended for her efforts to put the past behind her, although some people that know this super-confident young woman suggest that the truth is not quite in keeping with the bad-girl-turned-good story the show's makers would have us believe.
A former neighbour who lived next to her in Hackney five years ago explains: 'I looked after her baby son once. She knocked on the door and shouted at me "I've been stabbed, I've been stabbed! Here, look after him," and she shoved the baby in.

'She was stabbed in her arm or shoulder - I can't remember where exactly - and she was hurt, but she was running after the guy who stabbed her with a broom.
'What could I do? I just took the baby and called the police. It was about 2pm in the afternoon and the poor child wasn't even dressed.'

When it came to day-to-day existence near Rachel, the woman added: 'There were always people coming and going. There was loud music, arguments, things thrown out over the balcony of her flat. She was trouble - pure and simple - and a nightmare to live alongside.'
Others who had the misfortune to live near to a flat that she moved into in Harrow, North London, three years ago were equally unimpressed by her behaviour.

One man, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I was talking to my friend outside once, and she had her window open. I said something about the social services and she thought I was talking about her, which I wasn't. She went mad and started screaming and shouting accusations at me. You could see she was a right troublemaker.

'Another time I was in the garden one day and she came outside and started yelling at me for no reason and then said: "I'm going to fetch my boyfriend and get him to shoot you." She was a total bitch. If I ever went in the garden she would be out there, watching. I don't believe she can have changed so much in such a short time - it's all a front.'

Another neighbour claimed that she had been forced to move home because of Rachel.
'She was a very, very violent, aggressive person,' said the woman. 'People were in and out of her flat at all times of the day. I don't know what she was doing in there but her behaviour was very erratic.

'She didn't work, and to begin with she was always coming down to ask to borrow cigarettes and money. When I made it clear that I couldn't help her, that was when the trouble began.
'She had been in prison, and she lived her life as if she was still in prison. On one occasion she even pinned me up against the wall in the hallway. I had the police out to me all the time, but the only advice they could give was to tell me to pack a bag and to move out for the weekend so things could cool down.

'In the end I had no choice but to move for good. Anybody who thinks about voting for her on future shows should try living next door to her for a week first.'
Such goings-on would appear to be at odds with the way in which Rachel now claims to be living her life as a conscientious mother and law-abiding citizen. She even feels qualified enough to dish out advice to others.

'I know this is a cliché, but don't ever give up,' she said. 'Whether you want to be a builder, a singer, a doctor, a nurse - anything you want to be in life, go for it. I am 26 and I am not going to give up my dream.

'I am going to still work on my music until I am, like, 28, and if nothing happens in the next two years then I will go to college and go and do something boring.'

That Rachel considers study and work 'boring' comes as little surprise given the bad hand she was dealt from the very start. Born in London in 1981, she was the eldest of three children to Sharon Scott and her partner Alan Hylton.
The family unit, however, was short-lived, her father leaving for another woman with whom he would have six children. Two of them died in suspicious circumstances in a fire in 1990 at the age of ten months.

By the age of 11 Rachel was having her own problems with the authorities, being expelled from two schools for violence. From there on in, according to an interview in a Sunday tabloid following her X Factor appearance, it was all downhill.
'I lost my virginity when I was 11 to a boy who lived next door to me,' she told the newspaper. 'He was 14. I also had sex with older men. I became promiscuous and started to run away more.'
At 12 she fell pregnant to a 28-year-old drug dealer ('He was done for statutory rape, but I did give my consent') who introduced her to ecstasy and crack.
Her first child, a boy, was taken into care soon after he was born. 'I didn't really take to motherhood,' she told the paper. 'I was only 13. My mum took the brunt of looking after him, but then she got really sick with glandular fever. Social services were meant to place me and my son in a mother-and-baby unit. But they didn't do that.' Instead, she was sent to one foster home and her son was placed in another.

Rachel said: 'I was meant to be having contact, but I put drugs before seeing my son. I would be so high on crack I didn't show up to the visits. Some days I couldn't even get out of bed.'
At the age of 14 there followed another relationship with another drug dealer. He introduced Rachel to heroin, and at the age of 17 she had her second child, another boy, who was again taken into care shortly after the birth.

Rachel, meanwhile, was funding her addiction with crime. She shoplifted, she mugged people and she carried out street robberies.
On one occasion she mugged a middle-aged woman, running off with her handbag before being caught by the victim's husband. She was given 60 hours community service and 18 months probation.

Four months later she burgled a house in Hackney, East London, to get money for drugs and was subsequently jailed for 18 months.

Already pregnant by another man when she was sent to Holloway, Rachel gave birth in the prison's hospital wing, after which her daughter was immediately placed into foster care. Like her other children, the child was subsequently adopted.
Released, she continued taking drugs, breached her probation and was once again jailed.
She was pregnant for the fourth time but, according to her version of events, it was at this point that she decided to turn her life around and quit drugs. But she didn't stop having children - her fifth, Tashanee, is now four years old.

Today she describes herself as a 'full-time mum' and does not work, evidently supporting herself and her children on benefits.

Given her disturbingly bleak childhood and all she has been through, who could deny that this young woman deserves to be given the second chance that she appears to so desperately crave? Some X Factor fan forums have already made up their mind, it would seem.

'I like to see talented, hardworking, dedicated people succeed - not just on The X Factor but in real life,' writes one contributor.
'If the singer who was dim enough to conceive five illegitimate children with five different men and spent time in prison for drug offences and was an addict herself really wants to "turn her life around" for her "children's sake", why not go and get a job in a supermarket and work double shifts and weekends to bring some real dosh in?

'Committing yourself to a tiring, routine job is what millions of mothers and fathers do to provide for their families, and that's something to be admired. Not auditioning for a TV talent show.'
Another points out: 'Sorry, but if you get pregnant at the age of 13 it's your fault. If you take drugs and get addicted it's your fault. If you go to prison it's also your fault.
'I have nothing against anyone trying to turn their life around, but what I do object to is someone thinking their so-called sob story will get them where they want to be.'
While The X Factor's producers' manipulation is obvious, there's no doubt that Rachel's intentions to prove herself as a singer are entirely genuine.

Her new neighbours in Stanmore, North-West London, say she can be heard practising around the clock.

And it's pretty clear that the rest of the nation will soon also be hearing more of her.
'Rachel is brilliant - it looks as if she could go far on the show,' an X Factor source revealed.
'She has got past boot camp and the next stage will be the judges' houses, which we will film in a few weeks' time.

'That's when the four judges each pick their final three and those 12 go through to the live shows, so Rachel is in with a great shot of making it to the elimination stages.'
As for Rachel herself, with her Cinderella story now firmly engraved in the viewing public's mind, she has been forbidden from giving any further press interviews.
Well, at least for the time being, until the show enters the voting stage and the public are encouraged to ring in and part with their money.

Then, no doubt, Rachel will be encouraged to reveal more details of her tragically compelling life.

Simon Loves Rachel

Rachel Hylton hopes her troubles are over for good....
We may only have seen the first episode in the new series of The X Factor but already a handful of competitors have stuck out from the rest.
One of the strongest performers in tonight's show was 26 year-old Londoner Rachel Hylton. The upfront mum-of-five stunned the judges with her version of the Amy Winehouse hit, No Good (although, she told them, "It doesn't mean that I am no good").
Rachel's story, however, is certainly a complicated one. After having her first child at the age of just thirteen, she began taking drugs. By the time she was a mother of three, Rachel's drug habit had landed her in prison and eventually her first three children were taken into care.
She told Dermot, "It was only after I had my last two kids that I stopped and changed my life. I'm more focussed on music. I've always sung, but in the past few years I've said enough is enough. I need a better life for me and my kids".
She said, "I do get embarrassed about my past, but I do want much better. I think this is an opportunity to turn my life around in a big way".
Although Rachel impressed with her huge voice during auditions, she apologised to the judges, feeling that the performance she'd given wasn't her best.
Still reeling from Rachel's powerful delivery, Cheryl assured her, "If that was you singing when your breath is whacked, then boy are we in for a shock when you get your breath back. That was outstanding".
Louis called her a diamond in the rough and Dannii agreed that with so much at stake, she was sure that Rachel would work hard to make it in the competition.
Meanwhile, Simon was delighted with the unassuming lady who had just challenged every preconception in the book.
"You've very nervous," he told her, "but I absolutely love you, love you. You're fantastic. A breath of fresh air. And my favourite audition so far".
Out of the audition room, Rachel was overcome, saying poignantly, "All these people who told me i was nothing, they will see I am something now".
Rachel Hylton's past may be cloudy, but The X Factor is all about who can be the brightest star of the future.
Simon told the cameras, "Not enough people in this country are given a second chance. And I want to give her that second chance".

By: XFactor

Rachel Hylton vows to succeed

Rachel Hylton has pledged that nothing will stop her quest for success in The X Factor.
The 26 year-old mum of five overcame a turbulent past to audition for this year's show in her hometown of London. Viewers saw her make a real impression on the judges when she was featured on Saturday's show.
And her determination to succeed has seen fight against family opinion as she battled to claim her chance to impress.
Said Rachel; "I've had some family who don’t agree with me doing this, who think if my past comes out it's going to be embarrassing for them to handle. I have had to deal with a lot".
"I am embarrassed about my past. But I don't see why I should be living in fear. I've got to go for it, and do something. And - droning on and on - singing is my life. I thought, '**** it'.
"And I just went for it. And here I am today, and I'm glad I did."
Rachel, now on her way to bootcamp and one step closer to making her dreams come true, said: "I want to go all the way, I do".
"Even my nearest and dearest at times have said 'Don't do it'. This is so cliché, but I say, 'Don't give up on your dreams'".
"And if I get rich, I can buy a hotel. And I'll say 'Come to the Hylton Hotel with a Y not an I. It's true!"

By: XFactor

Rachel Hylton on YouTube

A full version of Rachel Hylton singing for the judges in The X Factor 2008 with her version of "No Good" by Amy Winehouse.

Rachel drugs and her children

After the xfactor show Hylton told of her life of drug addiction, crime and under-age sex and revealed her heartache at having three of her five children taken into care.

Rachel lost her virginity when she was 11 to a boy who lived next door. He was 14. She also had sex with older men. She became promiscuous and started to run away more.' Aged 12, Hylton became pregnant by a 28-year-old drug dealer. After the birth, she was sent to one foster home and her son was placed in another as drug addiction took hold of her.

She had a second baby, another boy, when she was 17 and once again saw the child taken into care. Afterwards, she returned to drugs and when the child's father dumped her, she turned to crime to feed her habit. 'I was a complete addict so I would shoplift, do muggings and commit street robberies.'

At 18 she got her first jail term - 18 months for attempted burglary. She was pregnant by another drug dealer when she was sent to Holloway Prison and gave birth to a daughter with guards stationed outside the hospital room. She said: 'They cut the cord and took her away. I didn't get to hold her.' The baby was later adopted.

She was let out of jail but was soon back on drugs and was inside again when she learned she was pregnant once more. It was at that point that she decided to change her life. Aged 20, she gave birth to her son Tishon and managed to kick drugs.

Eighteen months later she had her fifth child, daughter Tashanee, now four. The father left her when she was two months pregnant.

Hylton now has her own flat and is determined to win the ITV talent show. 'I'm turning my life around,' she said. 'I've always been a singer, it's my natural talent. I'm determined to succeed.'

Rachel Hylton - Her past

Up to ten million viewers watched feisty Rachel, 26, sing a pitchperfect version of Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good, with judge Simon Cowell telling her: "I love you, you're fantastic, a breath of fresh air, my favourite audition." Now she is on the verge of stardom as a favourite to win ITV1's new talent show series. But her path to the top has been deeply troubled.

The mother of five had a tormented childhood, growing up without her father Allan. At 12 she ran away from home and put herself into care. By 13 she was a drug addict and a single mother.
Eight years ago she appeared at a London court for attacking a woman in the street. She was given 60 hours community service and 18 months probation. Four months later she burgled a house in Hackney, East London, to get money for drugs. Back in court again, she was jailed for 18 months.

Her drug use had spiralled out of control in her teens and she went on to have four more children - all by different dads. Social workers were so appalled by her drug use and violent boyfriends that her three oldest children - two sons, now aged 13 and nine, and a daughter, seven - were taken into care. Londoner Rachel finally vowed to clean up her life and went into rehab after her release from prison in 2002.

Now a devout churchgoer, she has been drug-free for six years and lives in Stanmore, North West London, with her two youngest children, son Tishon, six, and daughter Tashanee, four. She suffered heartbreak when her dad left her mum Sharon to return to his ex-partner Valerie Lynch.

Then Allan and Valerie's 10-month-old twins Allan and Amelia died in a house fire in North London in 1990 when Rachel was eight. A pal of Rachel's said: "She is sorry for the attack and the burglary. She knows she can't turn back the clock and erase the hurt. But she is a totally different person. The old Rachel has gone forever." A show insider said: "She has been through hell but has won her life back.