Gary Barlow has admitted that he loved going back to real life with Marcus Collins earlier this week.

The X Factor judge and his last remaining contestant took a trip to Collins’ home city of Liverpool, where he performed for thousands of waiting fans. During the trip the Take That star joined the former hairdresser in a visit to his family home and confessed that he loved every minute of the experience.

Gary said:

‘It was an amazing homecoming in Liverpool with Marcus’s mum with a baby on my knee and Nana and Grandad giving me stick from the side. It was fantastic.’

‘The whole of Liverpool were out. It kind of made it all worthwhile for me. The way he has grown throughout the competition has been amazing. He’s been an absolute pleasure to deal with.’

Barlow thinks Marcus has massive things ahead, whether he wins the ITV show or not, and on what type of music he sees him releasing he added:

‘Marcus has got an old school vocal. The type of album I see him releasing is like an Alicia Keys type of record or John Legend and that’s totally the area that he fits in.

‘An area that’s never been covered before by X Factor.’

‘I really believe he can make a great album next year,’ he claimed.

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