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'IT TAINTED HER'
X Factor hopeful Ariel Burdett found dead at 38 ‘struggled with demons and regretted appearing on show’
TRAGIC X Factor star Ariel Burdett "struggled with demons" and "regretted" appearing on the hit ITV show, a pal claimed.
Ariel - whose real name was Amy - was found dead at home in Leeds aged 38 on November 12.
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In 2008, she gave one of X-Factor's most memorable auditions, clashing with judges Cheryl Tweedy and Simon Cowell.
Touching tributes poured in from shocked pals after the popular reality TV contestant's death.
Andrew Smalling, 35, knew Amy from the Chemic Tavern pub, in Wodehouse, Leeds, where she lived.
He told Sun Online: “We were shocked when we heard she’d died. She’d struggled with demons for a while.
X FACTOR 'TAINTED' ARIEL
“I think she regretted appearing on X Factor because she actually a decent musician and it sort of tainted her.”
Her cause of death is not yet known but West Yorkshire Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
She was a popular figure around Woodhouse with her distinctive look.
Student Sara Laughlin, 20, said: "A lot of us knew who she was because we’d seen her on X Factor as kids.
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“Hers was one of those memorable TV moments.
"It’s so very sad she has died.”
Ariel had one of the hit ITV show’s most unforgettable auditions, ripping off her ID number when she came on.
During her appearance 11 years ago, she told Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue Cheryl Tweedy and Louis Walsh she was a “holistic vocal coach”.
She’d struggled with demons for a while
Andrew Smalling, friend
She clashed with Cheryl, branding her “stupid” and insisted to the judges she was “a human being, not a number”.
But the Love Made Me Do It singer told Ariel she was "scary" and said "by the way you walked over to me I thought we were gonna have a scrap".
Ariel, who was 26 at the time, told the judges to “shove a bit of metal right up their a**”, as she was escorted out of the studio by a burly security guard.
'ARIEL DEAD'
She also went by the name Arabella Starchild after her famous audition.
A pal of Ariel's posted on Facebook: "It is with great sadness that I post this, as I have only just found out myself.
"A some time member of the moot, Amy Burdett aka Arabella Starchild passed to the Summerlands earlier this month."
Tributes poured in from wellwishers and fans on Twitter.
One person tweeted: "RIP Ariel Burdett, the iconic Holistic Vocal Coach who provided one of the most legendary moments on TV.
"She was a generalist, not specialist, she was a human being, not a number.
"Her voice did many things and she will be dearly missed."
Another posted: "Ariel Burdett is dead omg. Despite not getting through and whatnot, she was talked about more than most contestants and will forever be an x factor legend! RIP
And a third wrote: "Really sad to hear about Ariel Burdett aka the Holistic Vocal Coach passing away.
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"She brought so much joy to me and so many people, and will be remembered with absolute love by so many of us."
A Facebook post advised wellwishers to contact her brother for details of her funeral.
An inquest is due to open on November 27.
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