X Factor star seems to be drastically completely different 15 years on from her actuality TV present days as she sports activities cropped fashion whereas selling her newest challenge

X Factor star Mary Byrne looked almost unrecognisable as she promoted her latest project – 15 years after starring on the talent show.

The Irish singer, 65, first found recognition in 2010 as she impressed then X Factor judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Cheryl and Katy Perry with an incredible rendition I Who Have Nothing by Tom Jones during her audition.

Despite wowing the audiences week after week, she didn’t win and ended up coming in fifth place.

These days, the former Tesco worker has long ditched her brunette locks and fringe and now rocks a white blonde cropped hairstyle.

While singing is still her passion, Mary has explored other avenues as she recently embarked on a new career and is now a podcaster, having launched The Wise Owl Wans Podcast back in October with Irish actress and writer Eilish O’Carroll, 72.

The podcast, billed as ‘the banter of two legendary Irish women who have experienced it all’ sees Mary and Eilash chat about love, life and family.

Just weeks ago, Mary looked fabulous in a pink animal print top and rocking a side-swept cropped style as she spoke about a new episode of the show. 

Meanwhile, the Ballyfermot-born performer is now a Panto star, with Mary recently taking to the stage as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at Liberty Panto in Dublin.

Rocking coiffed pink hair, a dramatic white frilly dress and a huge wand, Mary looked in her element as she got into character for promotional images for the performance. 

If Panto and podcasting wasn’t enough, Mary also took her talents on the road with a nationwide Ireland tour of her one woman show, Check Me Out – which sees her entertain fans with a night of songs and stories.

Mary’s impressive career over the years has also seen her perform on Mediterranean cruises with Cliff Richard.

While also starred Menopause: The Musical alongside Linda Nolan.

Mary’s X Factor series famously was the year that One Direction were formed, with Matt Cardle going on to take the title.

The star recently hit the headlines when she paid a moving tribute to One Direction’s Liam Payne and told how she found it hard to ‘come to terms’ with his tragic death.

Liam plunged 45ft from the third floor into the courtyard of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires in October aged 31.

Mary, who reached the ITV show’s semi final while One Direction finished third, revealed she last time spoke to Liam in 2018 and during their chat he opened up to her about his struggles with fame.

She told The Sun: ‘I wouldn’t say fame wasn’t for him but I would say that they went far too big, far too quick, they literally burned out after five years.’

Mary said that Liam was ‘finding it really tough’ being stuck in hotel rooms as he toured the world and being unable to go out due to crowds of fans. 

‘He said “I am loving it, it is brilliant”, But he said ‘It is hard and it is not what I expected’ those were the words he said.’

She went on: ‘I was following his career and these young men and you are thinking how proud you are. I always felt proud like a mother because I was the Mammy figure in the house. 

Before admitting she cannot even ‘begin to imagine’ what Liam’s mother is feeling in the aftermath of his death. 

Elsewhere, Mary recently opened up on how she feels to perform, noting that despite her X factor fame and Panto, she’s quite shy person who takes on a different persona when she stands in front of the mic.

She told Sunday World: ‘People don’t realise that I’m quite shy. But I come alive when I stand on stage. I always say it’s not Mary Byrne on stage, it’s the character I portray… the other woman that’s inside me. It’s because you don’t have to be you… you are being someone else. Unfortunately, sometimes mental health takes away your confidence and doesn’t allow you to accept yourself as your are.

‘Even when I was in Tesco, I was still acting. When I think back to all the customers and singing to them and laughing with them, I was covering up the real Mary and she was coming out while I was working.

‘It’s just the way I am. I have to accept that and embrace that and accept that the two of us are there and get on with it. But I think we are all actors. There’s something in all of us, we act every single day of our lives to make it look as if we are OK, or even make ourselves feel we are OK.’

She went on to add that she’s a much ‘happier person’ these days and a ‘completely different’ person to who she was during the pandemic, adding that while she’ll ‘never let that person go’, she’s still ‘happier’ when she’s on stage.