Jake Quickenden admits that he’d have Nick Grimshaw as his X Factor mentor as he launches debut EP

Jennifer Ruby|Jenny Marc18 September 2015

Jake Quickenden has admitted that he would want to have Nick Grimshaw as his mentor if he was competing on this year’s X Factor.

Despite the backlash that the Radio One DJ initially faced when he joined the panel, Quickenden, 27, thinks that Grimshaw will bring something ‘different ‘ and ‘fun’ to the show.

Speaking to Evening Standard Online, he said: “I love the X Factor, it was amazing for me and gave me an amazing platform. Everyone on the show was great so I'll definitely be tuning in - can't wait to see how they've mixed it up.

Discussing Grimshaw, he said: “I think people are always quick to jump in and say something but until the shows is actually on we have no idea what he's going to be like.

“He obviously knows a lot about music - he works on Radio One - just because you're not a singer doens't mean you can't be a judge.

He added: “I'd probably go with Grimmy, you know. Just because he's young, he's someone different and I think I’d have bit of a laugh with him. If you having fun then you perform better.”

Fan: Jake thinks that Nick Grimshaw would be a great mentor
Phillip Toscano/PA

Speaking about Rita Ora’s admission to flirting with contestants to put them at ease ahead of their auditions, Quickenden said:

“I don’t know if that would have put me at ease - it would have made me a bit embarrassed I think.

X Factor London Press Launch

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“She's never flirted with me - I met her at Wireless and she was lovely. But if that's her way I don’t think the lads will mind a bit of Rita flirting."

Quickenden has just released his debut EP I Want You, for which he penned most of the tracks himself.

He told us: “I just wanted to put something out that was a little bit different to what people expected I think.

“I do a lot of my own writing - I co-wrote the EP with a couple of writers but I tend to write all of my own stuff by myself.

“So hopefully my next EP will be all me, just all written by me and exactly the songs I want in it - so I can't wait to start recording that too.”

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