And former wannabe has released a single for charity
On last weekend’s show, we met Derry Mensah, who wowed the audience and judges and got through to Boot Camp…
And it was also revealed that he’d served time in prison for being involved in an armed robbery, though he himself was not armed at the time.
Today, The Sun reports that Derry has turned his life around, and it reports that he saved a friend’s life after he was shot in a gangland shoot out.
Dominic Harley was shot in the chest, and while waiting for help to arrive, Derry stemmed the blood flow from the bullet wound by pressing a T-shirt against it.
Dominic said, “I lost a lot of blood, two or three pints.
“But without Derry next to me with the T-shirt held tight on my chest it would have been a lot more.
“The doctors said his quick-thinking saved me. He didn’t know where the gunman was or whether he’d shoot again.
“All he thought about was trying to keep me awake and stem the bleeding.”
And while commenting on Derry’s conviction in his teens for the robbery, Dominic said, “Everyone has done things they regret, but I want people to know that Derry’s not bad. In fact he’s a hero.
“If it hadn’t been for him I’d be dead. He might have made mistakes, but Derry did one of the greatest things anyone can do – he saved another human’s life.
“I really hope he wins The X Factor.”
Derry meanwhile revealed to the paper that he thought the bullet was possibly intended for him rather than for Dominic.
He said, “I heard the shot, but it sounded far away so I didn’t think anything of it.
“I’d bent down to tie my shoelace and Dominic was standing next to me at the bus stop.
“When I stood up again he wasn’t there.
“I looked round and saw him on the floor bleeding from his chest. I grabbed a T-shirt and just tried to stop the blood.
“We later found he’d been shot through his chest and the bullet exited through his arm.
“Everyone said the gunman was pointing the weapon at my head. If I hadn’t knelt down at that exact moment I’d have died.
“I was a rapper then, and everyone knew what area I was from. Killing me would have been like scoring points.”
The paper adds, “A man was held over the 2008 shooting, but freed without charge.”
In other news, viewers may recall wannabe Curtis Moore, who got through to Boot Camp in 2009…
He caused controversy at the time – and was axed from the contest – when pictures of him posting with a knife and “striking a gangsta pose” surfaced.
Now, he’s recorded a version of R Kelly’s I Believe I Can Fly for charity.
Curtis of Redditch, Worcs, told The Sun, “Since the rejection I’ve worked hard in all areas of life.
“I see this single as an opportunity to give something back.”
More X Factor news soon!
Loading ...
