Searching For A Superstar At The 2016 X Factor Auditions

Manchester was well and truly alive with the sound of music last month, when auditions for this year’s X Factor came storming into the city. Over 1,500 contestants lined up outside Trafford’s EventCity, hoping to turn their dreams of superstardom into a reality.

Austin’s Ices have a great relationship with ITV, so we had a feeling that they might want us to be involved in some way. Sure enough, we received a call from them ahead of the auditions, asking to hire one of our pristine ice-cream vans for the day. We were happy to oblige, and arrived at the venue mid-morning to offer some cool refreshment to the hordes of wannabe popstars.

We watched the hopefuls queue for hours. It didn’t look like much fun, but thankfully the folks at X Factor picked a great day to come to Manchester. Clear skies and warm sunshine provided the perfect setting to indulge in a sweet, chilled treat. Some of the contestants chose to steady there nerves with a smooth helping of Mr Whippy, while others opted for something a bit more spectacular in anticipation of their moment in the spotlight. Given that we have the finest selection of ices in the North West, there was definitely no shortage of options. From sherbet-dipped confections to custom creations (complete with an array of toppings), it was an eclectic mix of goodies fit for an even more eclectic mix of people.

Returning X Factor host Dermot O’Leary was on hand to interview some of the auditionees, even posing for a selfie or two. Dermot had stellar backup in the form of Reggie ‘N’ Bollie, one of the most popular acts from last year’s competition. The charismatic duo made sure the energy was surging and spirits remained high throughout the day. This year’s hopefuls also provided their fair share of entertaining moments. Our favourite was an outgoing older gentleman who decided to burst into song right in the middle of the audition line. We didn’t catch his name, but we’ll certainly be keeping our eyes peeled for him when the televised auditions air later this year.

All in all, we had a terrific time. We wish all the contestants the very best of luck, and hope that we were able to give them the little boost they needed to walk into that audition room and completely nail their performances!