Tesco Mary from The X Factor has transformed a lot in the 14 years since then, and she looks even more amazing.
Irish woman who worked at a supermarket Mary Byrne was a success with viewers in 2010, the same year as One Direction and Cher Lloyd appeared on Simon Cowell’s singing competition, while Matt Cardle ultimately won.
It’s almost impossible to believe that was 14 years ago, and Mary looks very different these days.
Now 64 years old, the former checkout worker has not only undergone a new look but has also changed careers.
Nowadays, Mary looks completely different from her appearance on reality TV as she has switched from her famous dark brown hair and straight fringe to a blonde hairdo.
After the complete revamp, the singer now has short hair with a sweeping fringe and has also shed six stone.
Mary previously mentioned that she ‘lost half her body weight,’ which helped her mental well-being to the extent that she was able to stop taking antidepressants.
She confessed to reaching 21 stone while on The X Factor.
Mary added: ‘It has happened gradually over the last decade [so] I guess I haven’t noticed it as much but yes, it is a significant amount of weight loss.’
She expressed her desire to lose two more stone in the future, but also mentioned that she wanted to take time to recognize ‘how far she has come’.
In terms of her livelihood, she may not have won The X Factor all those years ago, but she’s still entertaining audiences with a solo performance.
In honor of her days at the checkout, the show is named Check Me Out and takes place at Dublin’s The Civic Theatre.
Inspired by her time working at Tesco, Mary uses the show to take devoted fans on a journey down memory lane, from Tesco, to TV, and beyond.
Mary’s new show premiered on January 29 this year and runs until February 3, with more dates to be announced.
But this is not the first time she has performed post-X Factor, no.
She previously appeared in Menopause: The Musical alongside Linda Nolan, although at the time, the cast were involved in an ‘explosive’ motorway crash which she later referred to as ‘the most frightening thing that has ever happened to me’.
Mary has also appeared on Mediterranean cruises with Sir Cliff Richard.
In terms of her own music, Mary has released three albums and is currently working on a new collection of 60s hits.
Meanwhile, she’s still making headlines, most recently by sharing details about the first time she had sex.
Speaking on-stage in Tallagh, she admitted that her first sexual encounter was with a previous boyfriend, whom she started dating at 16, in a churchyard.
‘I’m still on good terms with him,’ she revealed.
Mary also talked about her current romantic situation, disclosing that she had been casually dating a man from Cork for the past few months and referred to them as ‘friends with the occasional benefit.’
During an interview with Sunday World, Mary revealed that she was in a two-year relationship with a woman.
Mary remembered: ‘It happened once, I had a relationship. I know myself I’m not gay. That doesn’t mean none of us can fall in love with the same sex. Everybody has that tendency.
‘You want to find somebody who’s kind and gentle to them, it doesn’t matter what sex they are. Love is love, it doesn’t matter who you are. I do not regret my lesbian relationship.
‘I do not regret it all. It was part of me and it made me grow.’
Mary made it all the way to live shows on ITV’s The X Factor, after impressing the panel at her first audition.
She first appeared on our screens in front of judges Simon, Louis Walsh, Cheryl, and Katy Perry with an incredible rendition I Who Have Nothing by Sir Tom Jones.
Mary received votes from the public week after week, which led to her finishing in fifth place.
