Diana Mae Vickers (born 30 July 1991) is a British singer-songwriter and actress, best known for her appearances on the ITV television programme The X Factor in 2008.
Vickers was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. She studied for A Levels in Theatre Studies, Classics, and Psychology at Westholme Private School. Vickers had taken many singing lessons and participated in local competitions, but had never sung professionally. Her plan was to go to Drama School to study Musical Theatre.
The X Factor
Vickers was a contestant in the 2008 series of The X Factor. Her performances were often unconventional, attracting both praise and criticism as a result, judge Simon Cowell likened her to Marmite, saying that fans could either love or hate her singing. She courted further controversy when she was unable to perform during week 5 of the contest due to illness. She reached week 9 of the contest, achieving fourth place.