Wakefield ice cream man to perform on X Factor

Andy Taylor, of Alverthorpe, who will perform on this year's X Factor

Dad-of-three Mr Taylor, of Alverthorpe, sells ice creams and hot dogs on a tricycle on the precinct outside Wakefield Cathedral.

But he is also a member of city band Twice Nightly and performs at holiday parks across the country.

Mr Taylor, 35, said: “I always said I would never do the X Factor because it’s quite frowned upon among musicians.

Andy Taylor who will perform on this year's X Factor.

“But I got the opportunity to go for an audition and I got through all of the preliminary stages and got the chance to audition in front of the judges at Wembley Arena.

“The producers insisted I took my ice cream tricycle down and I gave all of the judges an ice cream and a big food fight broke out during my audition. It was crazy.”

Mr Taylor, who has been singing for 18 years, also appears on the ITV advert for the reality show’s 12th series.

He said: “I wouldn’t say I was particularly scared because I’m used to performing in front of a lot of people but it was just an amazing experience.”

The X Factor will return to ITV for a 12th series tomorrow at 8pm (Saturday).