Craig Colton was just 22 years old when he auditioned for the show. He wanted to impress the judges, of course, but he also wanted to impress his parents. They were both in the audience but had no idea their son was going to audition that day. He had lied to them and told them he had to work. Instead, he planned to surprise them with his audition. Boy, were they surprised.

Christopher Maloney performed “The Rose” at his audition and almost didn’t make it on stage because of his nerves. He sang amazingly, and the judges were all impressed. He received a standing ovation from the audience. He admitted that he had filled out the forms to be on the show several times in the past but was always too nervous to go through with it. Judge Barlow said, “How the hell have you kept that voice hidden until now?”

Friends Abby and Lisa called themselves Ablisa for their audition and claimed that it was just for fun. They fought and argued and even threw tantrums backstage and during the audition. They were nasty to the audience and the judges, and they were even booed offstage. One of them even punched the other before running offstage. Not only was their act ruined but likely their friendship, as well. It may not have been a good audition, but it was an entertaining one.

Jade Richards came on the stage with a unique look, and she told the judges that she was hoping the contest would give her a better life. She explained that her grandmother was also a singer and her biggest fan. Her grandmother was in the audience listening as Jade sang her heart out on stage. The judges loved her, and she got four yesses.

Lorna Bliss walked on stage for her audition wearing hardly anything at all. She claimed that she wanted to save the world with fishnet. Nobody took her too seriously, but she had been on TV before. Her performance was more like a striptease, and she even gave the judges lap dances. They were embarrassed and not too impressed by her singing. In the end, she didn’t make it on to the next round.

Sam Bailey impressed the judges by telling them that she is a mom and prison officer. Nobody expected her to have a great voice, but when she got on stage and belted out the lyrics of Beyoncé’s “Listen,” the audience and judges were captivated. She may have a plain jane appearance, but she had the voice of a star. She received four yesses and walked off the stage to her husband with tears of happiness.

James Arthur won a season of the show, but his audition was just as memorable as his performance in the finals. Not only was he a great singer, but he shared the story of his past and how much he struggled as a kid. He also explained that his mom and dad had no relationship and didn’t communicate, which made him act out and eventually end up in foster care. His parents were reunited for the first time in 20 years at his audition.

Zoe Alexander came out on stage with a unique look and a fun personality. She looked a lot like Pink and performed her song “So What.” She shared that both her parents perform tribute acts, but they all have different tastes in music. The judges weren’t impressed and asked her to sing another song, but they didn’t like it, either. Although the crowd thought she was adorable, the judges didn’t agree.

Johnny Robinson was 45 years old when he auditioned. Although some people felt that it was too late for him to start a music career, he wasn’t a bit nervous about his audition. Nobody expected him to have such an amazing voice, but the judges were blown away by his performance of “At Last.” The judges told him he had the shock factor and sent him on to the next round.

MK1 came in with a bang. The members thought they had what it took to make it to the top, but they had to audition like everyone else. They came on strong, but the judges failed to appreciate the band and asked that they rethink having a third member. The band received yesses if they went through as a duo only. It was a hard but memorable audition to watch.