Photo: WENN.com
Six of the twelve X Factor finalists in this year's show were approached by the show's researchers and invited to audition for the show, it a spokesperson for the show has revealed.
Acts MK1, Jahmene Douglas, Lucy Spraggan, Kye Sones and Melanie Masson are the artists in question, with Sones and Masson having previously had professional music careers. An official X Factor confirmed to BBC's Newsbeat that artists had been approached by show staff - but still had to partake in the audition process.
MK! were invited to audition through their management while Douglas was scouted by staff who saw him singing on YouTube. When Spraggan's audition was initially aired on ITV, she was forced to withdraw an album from iTunes under show rules.
These artists will be seen competing in the live finals, which begin on ITV tonight.
This year's series is the first to open the competition to professional artists, with show bosses announcing this earlier in 2012.
"Please note that outside of this application process, acts may also be invited to audition for the programme by researchers acting on behalf of the producer," said a statement.
"Such acts will be required to go through the audition process and normal programme rules will apply."
Both Nicole Scherzinger and Tulisa have defended the inclusion of professional singers, with new judge Scherzinger claiming: "It opens up the pool for wider talent."
