FOUR Irish contestants are in the race to become part of the next big global group on Little Mix’s new talent show.
Megan Whelan, Aisli Moran, Tamara Salmon and Matthew Nolan are flying the flag for Ireland as X Factor superstars Little Mix hunt for the next hit band on their BBC series.
The four – who are part of three different bands on the series – have reached the final stages and are gearing up for their first live performances this weekend.
Dubliners Megan Whelan, 19, and 18-year-old Aisli Moran are part of the Girl Dance group.
And 20-year-old Meath contestant Tamara Salmon is in the Girl Vocal band – while Louth’s Matthew Nolan is performing with the Vocal and Instruments band.
Meet the fab four.
MEGAN WHELAN
Megan, 19 hails from East Wall in Dublin, and she is currently part of the Girl Dance band in the show along with fellow Irish contestant Aisli.
Growing up, Megan always had a passion for singing and dancing and she knew she wanted to get into the music industry.
Speaking with The Irish Sun, she explained: “I have always loved singing from a young age but I brought singing and dancing together so I have loved performing and everything got to do with music really.”
Megan said her music teacher encouraged her to take part in the show.
She said: “Basically I saw a couple of ads on social media and then my singing teacher contacted me and was like, ‘Oh my god I think you should try out for this I think you would be perfect for it’.
“I have always been a huge fan of Little Mix ever since I was younger they have always been idols to me so I was like, ‘Of course I was going to do it’.
“So I auditioned in Dublin and I’m here now.”
She added: “I never expected to get this far because I have never done anything like this so it was just such a shock to me I still don’t believe that I’m here at the minute I’m still in shock but I’m so grateful.”
Getting up to perform in front of her idols is a complete blur for Megan – and she explained that she doesn’t remember anything from the day.
She said: “Honestly, I cannot remember one thing from that day, that’s was how much shock I was in.
“I was watching myself on TV and I was like, ‘I can’t remember that happening. Is that me? Did I just say that?’
“I was in just complete and utter shock and I was trying to just say to myself, ‘They were in the same position,’ but then I was like, ‘No this is the biggest girl band of this generation in front of me I can’t act normal’.
“I was just in shock but it was an incredible experience and we’re all so lucky to have the opportunity to be standing in front of them never mind get feedback from them.”
AISLI MORAN
Megan’s bandmate Aisli, 18, hails from Killiney in south Dublin and she grew up in a very musical household.
Speaking about her family’s influence, Aisli said: “I grew up with a really musical family.
“So I kind of got into music because of my parents, my grandparents and my older sisters as well have been really into music so that’s how I got into it.”
Aisli was encouraged to audition for the show by her cheerleader mum and she revealed that she, Megan and fellow Irish contestant Tamara Salmon all auditioned on the one day.
She explained: “My mum knows that I have always loved Little Mix since I was younger, I have always been a huge fan, so my mum was like, ‘I really think you should do this’.
“My mum was really pushing for it, my mum is my biggest supporter as well so I was like, ‘Yeah definitely I will go for it’.
“Me, Megan and Tamara were actually all in the same audition.
“That was just a voluntary audition we weren’t invited or anything and we just ended up being at the same audition which is very funny.
“It’s mad that Megan and I are even in the same band now and we started off in the same audition, it’s crazy.”
Aisli said she was more nervous to meet the iconic band rather than showing off her own vocal talents.
She said: “I have obviously been such a big fan of Little Mix since I was younger, they have always been so influential for me since I was so young.
“So I was almost way more nervous to be meeting Little Mix than to sing.
“I just couldn’t believe that I was going to be in the same room as them.
“I literally look up to them. Even my music and the way I sing is heavily inspired by them so it was insane to be near them and to get to talk to them, it was huge for me – it was incredible.”
TAMARA SALMON
Tamara, 20, is the final Irish female contestant on the show and she is part of the Girl Vocal band.
Growing up in Meath, her love of music was greatly encouraged by her talented family.
Her mother owned a stage school and was even in a band with her dad, while her granddad performed abroad.
She explained: “My mam had a stage school, my dad and my mam were in a band together, my granddad was also very musical, he sings abroad.
“I was on stage with my mam since I was like literally two or three years of age and I just loved performing and getting up and entertaining people.
“I was in a lot of competitions and musicals in schools.”
Tamara said she has always wanted to be part of a band.
Speaking about the audition, she explained: “It was a showcase night and I just said I would go up.
“It was nerve wracking but I’m so delighted I did it.
“I always pictured myself being in a band, as much as I enjoy solo singing, I do feel as if I have come out of my shell a lot more since being in a band – it was a great decision.”
Tamara was “shaking” during her performance in front of the band.
She said: “I was so nervous. I have never been so nervous in all my life.
“Nothing actually prepares you for it.
“I thought before going out in front of them I would be okay but then all of a sudden my whole body started shaking and even my voice was shaking the whole time I couldn’t control it!”
MATTHEW NOLAN
Matthew, 21, is the only Irish male contestant and he will be performing with the Vocal and Instruments band.
He has always had a massive interest in music and has even been writing his own original songs.
Matthew explained: “When I was 15 I nicked my dad’s guitar on him and have just been strumming away on that ever since.
“I got heavily involved in songwriting, releasing my own music and I have been doing that quite passionately the last two or three years.
“It was always a thought. I knew I could sing in my bedroom and stuff but then when I started writing music I just found a complete love for it.
“That’s when it started off that’s what led to me doing something like this it was the only option for me it was the only thing I wanted to do.”
Matthew revealed that he knew he needed to stand out in the audition and do something that would be different.
He was incredibly nervous for his performance but he was delighted with the girls’ feedback.
The Louth native said: “For me, it was very nerve-wracking.
“I knew everyone in the room that day could sing and I knew I just wanted to bring something a bit more than singing and playing a guitar because that’s what everyone was doing and obviously that was my main priority.
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“Once you walk out there, you don’t crumble but you get a little punch in the gut and you freeze a little bit and obviously nerves affect your singing a little bit but they made it very easy to communicate with them especially after you sang.
“After I sang and they gave their feedback, it was very easy to like have a laugh with them, they just made you feel at home and made you feel like you met them at the side of the street and they were just telling you what they thought about you.”
The four Irish wannabes hit the stage on Saturday as the six chosen bands make their debuts to battle it out for five spots in the next round.
Little Mix: The Search is on BBC One at 6.10pm on Saturday.
