Has Wakefield ice cream man got the X Factor?

Ice cream man Andy Taylor’s audition for this year’s X Factor will be screened on television this weekend.
Andy Taylor, of Alverthorpe, who will perform on this year's X Factor.Andy Taylor, of Alverthorpe, who will perform on this year's X Factor.
Andy Taylor, of Alverthorpe, who will perform on this year's X Factor.

Dad-of-three Mr Taylor, of Alverthorpe, sells ice creams and hot dogs on a tricycle on the precinct outside Wakefield Cathedral.

But he is also a member of city band Twice Nightly and performs at holiday parks across the country.

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Mr Taylor, 35, said: “I always said I would never do the X Factor because it’s quite frowned upon among musicians.

“But I got the opportunity to go for an audition and I got through all of the preliminary stages and got the chance to audition in front of the judges at Wembley Arena.

“The producers insisted I took my ice cream tricycle down and I gave all of the judges an ice cream and a big food fight broke out during my audition. It was crazy.”

Mr Taylor, who has been singing for 18 years, also appears on the ITV advert for the reality show’s 12th series.

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He said: “I wouldn’t say I was particularly scared because I’m used to performing in front of a lot of people but it was just an amazing experience.”

His audition is expected to be on ITV from 8pm on Saturday.