Fleur East

I uplift people and see the good in a bad situation. The worst is I'm very critical of myself. If I do a performance, I watch it 100 times afterwards and pick it apart. ”

Just before I auditioned for 'The X Factor,' there was nothing in my diary at all. I had no shows; nothing was happening. It was make-or-break time for me, and I had to consider doing another career altogether. ”

I can't ignore what I grew up listening to. My parents used to listen to Michael Jackson non-stop. They used to listen to Luther Vandross, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder. ”

Even writing verses from my first album, there were songs that I didn't use because I just felt that they weren't really for me. But I think that happens naturally when you write songs. You're in a different mood in every session. There's so many songs out there that could potentially be used by other artists. ”

I feel like I'm quite versatile. I want to do lots of different styles. ”

I didn't grow up in a wealthy family at all. Being at home all day and watching movies, that was a luxury. ”

My mum is black, my dad is white, and when I was a teenager, people would say, 'So what are you? Are you black? Or white? What are you more of?' ”

There's so much pressure, but I think if you really love it, if you truly love it, and it's your passion to sing, then that's what will get through. I think if you don't have that, you'll realise quickly. ”

I'd love to write with some people from the U.K., like Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande... there's a very long list. ”

I'd perform in the mirror; I'd pretend to do interviews. I'd practice my autograph for hours. ”