‘X Factor’ Contestant Dalton Harris Opens Up About Childhood Abuse

Over the years, music competitions have been the launching pad for the careers of many now-famous artists and groups, including Kelly Clarkson, One Direction, and Jennifer Hudson. With each new season of these shows, millions of aspiring artists show up hoping to get an opportunity to make it in the entertainment industry.

And this season of the X Factor has been no different. Season 15 of the popular British singing competition began airing on September 1, 2018, and after several rounds of auditions and eliminations, 16 finalists were chosen and placed into four categories to perform on the live shows. One of the lucky finalists to land a spot on the live shows was Jamaican soul singer Dalton Harris, who recently opened up about the abuse he experienced as a child, according to a report from The Mirror.

While chatting with the publication, 24-year-old Harris said he hopes to leave his past behind him as he moves toward a successful future. Harris said he has been left with scars as a result of childhood abuse, but has managed to forgive those who’ve caused him pain.

“There’s a cut above my right eyebrow and cuts around my ears and head but I grew my hair to hide them. There are more on my chest, arm, shoulder, back, thighs, legs, and feet. I was punched so hard by a guy dating my mum I crashed through a window,” he revealed.

The young singer is currently being mentored by former One Direction band member and X Factor judge Louis Tomlinson, and has been predicted to win this year’s competition, Metro reported.

During his audition, Harris shared a glimpse into his life while growing up in Jamaica before breaking into a beautiful rendition of “Listen” from the 2006 film, Dreamgirls.

“I grew up in a one-room house without electricity or running water, but it’s not a sad story. It’s how I came out of it and I’m triumphant,” he said, according to a report from The Sun.

“What was so incredible, aside from the unbelievable vocal, was the whole story you told us. I will never listen to that song the same way ever again,” Tomlinson responded after the emotional performance.

Harris also revealed he was homeless during his teens and had to find shelter in local churches and basements. In 2011, things started to change for the singer after he entered and won a singing competition in Jamaica. Harris used his cash prize to put himself through school and rent an apartment.

His dream of a successful singing career later brought him to the X Factor.