X Factor star Ray Quinn sports rugged beard as he enjoys boozy stag do with pals

05 September 2023 , 09:39

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X Factor star Ray Quinn sports rugged beard as he enjoys boozy stag do with pals

X Factor star Ray Quinn looked unrecognisable in Dublin at the weekend, sporting a bushy beard and a ponytail.

The Liverpool lad, 35, was in the Emerald Isle for his stag do after proposing to long-term partner, Emily Ashleigh. Ray was only 18 when he reached the finals of the X Factor, wowing fans with his angelic voice, but fast-forward 17 years and 'Quinny' has undergone quite the transformation as he shared a number of snaps on TikTok of his trip to Ireland.

With his hair slicked back into a ponytail, revealing his impressive beard and moustache, the father-of-two can be seen tucking into a pint of Guinness in one of the city's many watering holes. In another photo he stands proudly in a pub wearing a gold UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) belt with a hint of his tattoo sleeve peaking out from under his shirt. In a third the swing star strikes a pose, sporting a white shirt, jeans, smart brown shoes and sunglasses as he celebrated his upcoming nuptials with Emily.

X Factor star Ray Quinn looked unrecognisable in Dublin at the weekend, sporting a bushy beard and a pony tail (Instagram)

The singer looks unrecognisable from his days on the X Factor (Instagram)

Ray captioned the snaps: "Stag do. What a boss time it was.. with all the boys in Dublin, pint of Guinness and a UFC belt to boot.. loved every minute.. still feeling it but memories to last a lifetime.. nice one boys."

The Dancing on Ice winner shot to fame on the X Factor in 2006 when he was pipped to the post for the title by Bleeding Love star, Leona Lewis. He went on to have a successful jazz career and also appeared in many musical productions and plays throughout the UK. Ray also starred in Hollyoaks and took part in Dancing On Ice in 2009 and the All Stars edition in 2014, winning both series.

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Strike a pose! (Instagram)

Ray was just 18 when he made his debut on the show (Ken McKay / Rex Features)

In more recent years, however, the singer has stepped out of the spotlight. During the pandemic Ray found work as a delivery driver and in 2021 went on to reinvent himself as a carpet fitter - starting a film alongside his brothers Robin and Darren. He previously told OK! magazine: "My dad was a carpet fitter all his life. He taught my brothers how to do it. When I first started, I actually went to work in my dad’s old uniform. He’d ­always said you can work your way out of anything; to keep your head up high – and that’s what I’ve done."

In his personal life, the Scouser married the mum of his son, Harry, Emma Stephens in 2012, but they later divorced in 2015. The singer is now engaged to girlfriend Emily, who gave birth to the couple's first child together, a baby girl called Summer, last year.

Victoria Johns