Jump directly to the content
SING IT LLOYD

Who is Lloyd Macey? X Factor 2017 contestant who suffers from Crohn’s disease

LLOYD Macey impressed with his soulful stylings on The X Factor 2017 and survived the Six Chair Challenge, making it to Judges' Houses, but got voted off in the second semi final.

Here's what we know about him...

 Welsh student Lloyd has wowed viewers with his voice
4
Welsh student Lloyd has wowed viewers with his voiceCredit: PA:Press Association

Who is Lloyd Macey, how old is he and what is his background?

Lloyd Macey's birthday is 28 November 1993. He is 24 years old.

He's a singer and from the Valleys in South Wales and was a contestant in The X Factor 2017.

Lloyd started singing at a young age and was on the stage by the time he was eight - leading him to sing in care homes and join local musical theatre troupes as he grew up.

He graduated from the University of Cardiff before he starred in The X Factor and is a native Welsh speaker.

 Lloyd has top pipes but didn't make it all the way in The X Factor
4
Lloyd has top pipes but didn't make it all the way in The X FactorCredit: Rex Features

Favouring classic ballads, he sang Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur on the show.

He impressed the judges consistently with his performances and got through the Six Chair Challenge and to the Judges' Houses round.

He was mentored by Boys category head Louis Walsh and pop star Mika.

He won the Prize Fight during George Michael week, winning the chance to support Little Mix on their tour in Manchester.

 Lloyd, second left, with the rest of the X Factor Boys
4
Lloyd, second left, with the rest of the X Factor BoysCredit: Rex Features

How was Lloyd's nan involved in getting him through his audition?

Lloyd's grandma Christine, who is a huge champion of his talents, came with him into his first audition on the 2017 series.

She brought fish finger sarnies for Lloyd to snack on - and then decided to offer them to Simon Cowell as she'd heard he liked them.

As the sandwiches were consumed, Chris sat with the judges and Lloyd wowed with Sam Smith's Lay Me Down.

Talent and sandwiches won the day and Lloyd got through.

Lloyd Macey and Crohn's disease

Lloyd developed Chrohn's disease when he was 19 years old.

Lloyd has talked about how his condition was diagnosed after a bout of food poisoning.

Speaking on Loose Women, he said: "I was at university and we all had spaghetti Bolognese one evening."

He described how everyone came down with food poisoning but his illness continued for weeks, and said: "For six weeks I didn't pass any stools and I began to put on a lot of weight. And then I lost nearly seven stone because I stopped eating because I'm afraid of eating."

 Lloyd performing on The X Factor live arena tour in 2018
4
Lloyd performing on The X Factor live arena tour in 2018Credit: Getty - Contributor

Lloyd lost weight rapidly, and dropped from about 20 stone to 12 stone, before he went to the doctor's and was diagnosed with Crohn's. He ended up in hospital, and lost so much weight his friends didn't recognise him.

He said: "That's when my relationship with food completely changed. I was scared that what I was putting into my body was going to affect my body.

"Everyone's different, they deal with Crohn's disease in different ways.

"You sing from your diaphragm, it's important to have the support in your stomach. But for me, I relax my body and I've learnt how to control my nerves. For me it's helped my Crohn's."

X Factor's Lloyd Macey performs Moana's How Far I'll Go at judges houses
Topics