X Factor’s Mary Byrne stuns fans with dramatic transformation 15 years after show

sensation Mary Byrne is barely recognisable from her days on the talent show, a decade and a half after sharing the stage with and

The 65 year old Irish songstress shot to fame on the 2010 series, wowing judges , Louis Walsh, and Katy Perry with her powerful rendition of Tom Jones’ hit, I Who Have Nothing.

Fans affectionately nicknamed her ‘Tesco Mary’ at the time due to her job at the supermarket chain in Ireland. In the year that saw Matt Cardle triumph over Rebecca Ferguson and One Direction, Mary secured an impressive fifth place, captivating audiences with her vocal prowess and performances.

Back then, Mary sported brunette locks with a fringe, but recent snaps reveal her sporting a white blonde cropped hairstyle.

While still passionate about singing, 65 year old Mary has also ventured into podcasting, co-hosting The Wise Owl Wans Podcast with Irish actress and writer Eilish O’Carroll, 72. Mary is also treading the boards in pantomime, playing the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at Liberty Panto in Dublin.

In promotional shots for her panto role, Mary is seen donning a white frilly dress and styled pink hair, a far cry from her X Factor days. Since her stint on the ITV show, Mary has starred in a musical alongside Linda Nolan and has entertained passengers on Mediterranean cruises with Sir Cliff Richard, reports .

X Factor star Mary Byrne has opened up about the struggle to cope with the loss of her fellow contestant, Liam Payne. She told The Sun: “I wouldn’t say fame wasn’t for him but I would say that they went far too big, far too quick, they literally burned out after five years.”

Mary recalled Liam’s difficult time dealing with the pressures of fame, constantly living out of a hotel room while on tour and being hounded by adoring fans.

She shared his candid words: “He said ‘I am loving it, it is brilliant’, But he said ‘It is hard and it is not what I expected’ those were the words he said.”

As someone who has followed Liam’s journey, Mary expressed her pride in his accomplishments: “I was following his career and these young men and you are thinking how proud you are. I always felt proud like a mother because I was the Mammy figure in the house.”

In addition to reflecting on Liam’s passing, Mary has also undergone a remarkable weight transformation since her time on The X Factor. In a 2020 interview with the Irish Mirror, she revealed that she weighed 21 stone during the show but has since lost an impressive 6 stone, describing it as “half a person in weight.”

Mary, who now tips the scales at 15 stone, admitted to being shocked by the dramatic change: “I looked at the picture of me on the show and me now and I honestly was shocked.”

She attributed the weight loss to a gradual process over the past decade, stating: “It has happened gradually over the decade [so] I guess I haven’t noticed it as much but yes, it is a shocking amount of weight loss.”