Joseph McCaul‘s music career has been anything but smooth. At just 17, he represented Ireland at Eurovision 2005 alongside his sister, Donna. Their bubblegum-pop number, “Love?”, failed to impress and the siblings crashed out in the semi-final. Since then he’s drifted in and out of obscurity. However, thanks to the UK edition of The X Factor, the singer is back in the limelight.

As we reported some weeks back, Joe narrowly passed his first audition, progressing to the Boot Camp stage which aired last night. By his own admission, McCaul is not a typical popstar:

Ginger hair, glasses, freckles. Kind of an uglier version of Ed Sheeran. But I think I’ve been given a talent, so I’m using it.

And talent is the most important thing, right? Well don’t be so certain. Whilst commending Joe’s cover of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love”, the judges weren’t so kind regarding his looks. Simon Cowell even pondered aloud whether Joe’s voice could be transplanted into another body.

Is there any way, like that movie The Fly, you can put that voice into another contestant?

His fellow panellist and one-time Eurovision dropout, Rita Ora, helpfully confirmed that such a procedure wasn’t possible.

Joseph McCaul X Factor Boot Camp 2015

In spite of the panel’s unkind comments, Joe made it through to the six chair challenge, the penultimate round before the actual live shows.

What do y’all think? Was it necessary to focus so much on Joe’s appearance? And did it amount to body shaming? Can Joe overcome it all and reach the live shows? Let us know below.

YOU CAN FOLLOW ALL OF OUR IRELAND EUROVISION NEWS HERE.

5 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Deven O'Kearney
Deven O'Kearney
8 years ago

It just shows you how shallow and manipulative the UK X Factor is. Talent over looks. He may not be the best singer in the world but it’s not an excuse to bully contestants over their image.

Mario EuroFan
Mario EuroFan
8 years ago

Ok…I feel kinda regret that i commented on this wiwi article..
I should better not had bothered writing anything here after all..
Why do i care so much so wanting to comment on everything & everyone?
I should maybe do something about that..

Mario eurofan
Mario eurofan
8 years ago

Oh plus..{to add few more additional words if u don’t mind..} And if he makes the cut surviving & entering the live shows i really doubt that he will become a star after the end of this cycle of XFactor.. The great majority of the players participants that go through the live shows do NOT become stars…Only just few of them…I mean look at how many winners even that got lost shortly after X Factor{Steve Brookstein,Leon Jackson,JoeMcElderry,} Even the #1 most GreAtY Star that has risen from this talent show that is ofc Leona Lewis flops underperforming commercially with her… Read more »

Mario eurofan
Mario eurofan
8 years ago

Oh…Again this guy.. I doubt if he will make the cut & will get accepted in the live shows though.. And if he does i really do not think that he will go far in this game with finishing on high place…Let alone to WIN the whole XFactor…Especially the last achievement.. {but on the other hand,you never know of course what can happen really in this unpredictable world though…so i will not swear about that putting my hand on fire..} And too many of us had an awful past & struggled with bullying,misery & tragedy…Like the great percentage of the… Read more »

Erin
Erin
8 years ago

It’s like telling the entire audience in not so many words that Joseph McCaul is some sort of ‘freak of nature’… It’s one thing to say that he’s ‘a great singer but a horrible performer’ because that statement means that he lacks in personality or individuality to set him apart from the rest of the bunch, but it’s another thing to narrow it down to his physical appearance! Cowell could have said that his body language doesn’t project confidence or that his gestures and body movements are incompatible with his singing, but instead he went for the jugular like a… Read more »