Now we all know that some people’s success in the X Factor has more to do with their back stories and ability to pluck on the heart strings than with their actual talent.

When 26 year old Rachel shows up on Saturday nights show, and the slower music starts playing you will be forgiven for thinking that the X Factor’s first sob story of 2008 is about to begin. You’d be right.

Rachel is a mother of five and proceeds to fill us in on how she had her first child at the age of thirteen, fell into a life of drugs and crime and lost her first three children to the care system when she was put into prison. Of course the X Factor wouldn’t be giving air time to a hardened criminal, no, Rachel has turned over a new life and now looks after her two youngest children whilst pursuing a singing career. She wants to make something of herself and provide her children with a better future.

However, the pleasant surprise in this story is that unlike many of the X Factor sympathy seekers, Rachel actually can sing. Her audition piece was ‘No Good’ by Amy Winehouse and she ends up with all the judges, especially Simon gushing about her talent. He actually calles her a “breath of fresh air!”

Judging from this weeks X Factor acts, we may actually have a talented person or group win this year, if we can stop the Scots voting for another soppy pub act like Leon Jackson or The Mac Donald Brothers.