Rylan Clark goes back to his roots as he recreates iconic blonde locks to mark 10 years since X Factor
Now that’s a blast from the past! (Picture: Instagram/ITV/YouTube)

It’s unlikely you’ll ever see Rylan Clark with a hair out of place, as his raven locks are always perfectly coiffed – but now he’s channelling his younger self with a new hairstyle.

The TV presenter is now a household name, so it’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t really know much about Rylan, but it was The X Factor that introduced us to the Essex star back in 2012.

And when he first walked onto the stage for his audition in front of judges Gary Barlow, Tulisa, Rita Ora, and Louis Walsh, the singer’s hair was very different to how it looks now.

So, in homage to 2022 marking 10 years since that first audition, which ended up the catalyst to his fame, Rylan is going back to his roots.

Recreating his long blond tresses from his reality TV days, the BBC Radio 2 host has shared a series of snaps wearing a wig.

It seems he doesn’t totally despise his new look either, as he captioned one of his selfies: ‘I hate the fact I’m liking this hair again’.

Editorial use only Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock (13273218p) Rylan Clark 'This Morning' TV show, London, UK - 26 Aug 2022
Rylan’s brunette locks are usually coiffed to perfection (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
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…but now he’s gone back to his roots to mark 10 years since he rose to fame (Picture: Instagram)

Rylan’s famous friends are living for his nostalgic hair do too, as James Arthur, who won Rylan’s series in 2012, commented: ‘I’m here for it’.

Meanwhile, fans joked that is blonde hair makes him look like Eurovision star Sam Ryder, with one teasing: ‘Sam wants his hair back’.

We can’t believe it’s been 10 years since Rylan placed ninth on The X Factor, which also means it’s been a decade since he gave us the meme of all memes by sobbing on Nicole Scherzinger’s couch upon getting through to the live shows. Ah, those were the days!

Television Programme: The X Factor Live with Rylan Clark. 'The X Factor Live' TV Programme, London, Britain, 10 Nov 2012. EDITORIAL USE ONLY / NO MERCHANDISING / NO BOOK PUBLISHING Mandatory Credit: Photo by Ken McKay/Thames / Rex Features (1964518ho)
Rylan really was an iconic X Factor contestant (Picture: Ken McKay/Thames/Rex Features)
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Who could forget that breakdown in front of Nicole Scherzinger? (Picture: ITV)

Rylan is currently promoting his new book, also aptly titled Ten: The Decade That Changed My Future, which details the ups and downs of his life since becoming a celebrity.

His tell-all memoir also delves into the breakdown of his marriage from fellow presenter Dan Neal, from whom he split last year after six years of marriage.

The It Takes Two host has been very open about how the split affected him and took a toll on his health, recently admitting that he suffered two heart failures and was hospitalised following the divorce.

But despite his book being a real warts and all retelling of his split from Dan, Rylan also revealed there were details he just couldn’t include.

‘There were things that I was going to put in the book that I ended up, I didn’t from a legal point of view,’ he told The One Show.

Rylan Clark and Dan Neal British LGBT Awards, London, UK - 12 May 2017 Mandatory Credit: Photo by Can Nguyen/REX/Shutterstock (8820299ay)
Rylan’s memoir details his challenging divorce from ex-husband Dan Neal (Picture: Can Nguyen/REX/Shutterstock)

‘And not that it was anything salacious or anything like that, just things like I’d received a text saying XYZ and then the legal team would say like, “Can you just show us that text so we can prove it if ever,” and I was like sure, and just scrolling back, I was like, I can’t do this.

‘So I took it out, because I didn’t want to live it.

‘I got so ill last year that I don’t need to do that.’

He jokingly added: ‘At the end of the day, people will be like, “Why are you talking about it then,” because I’ve got a book to sell, darling.’

Rylan’s autobiography, Ten: The Decade That Changed My Future, is out now.

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