The Illawarra will have it’s first major reality tv star after Cyrus Villanueva was given a golden ticket to The X Factor grand final, along with singer Louise Adams, 31 of Mount Gambier and duo Jess & Matt, both 24 from Sydney.
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Villanueva was a ball of nerves up until the moment his name was called on the safe list during Tuesday night’s elimination show, though it was bittersweet.
“It's at that point of the competition where everyone is so talented and so different you never know if you’re safe or not,” he said. “I was so over the moon to have made it, but I had to say ‘See you’ to [Big] T.”
The pair became close mates during their time on the television talent quest, each spurring the other on.
“He just keeps telling me, ‘alright bro, you gotta take this out - this is your moment’,” he laughed.
It certainly is his time to shine and Australia is backing him every step of the way. Villanueva conceded he knew Dapto would back him and also the people of Wollongong, but felt totally overwhelmed by the support from far and wide that continues to pour his way.
“I’m just following something that I love doing and putting all my effort and hard work into that,” he said. “I guess [i’m an] example to how far you can go if you put your mind to it.”
Monday night will see him perform three songs in the hope of being crowned winner on Tuesday. He couldn’t give too much away as to what songs have been chosen, but said in preparation he didn’t like to over-rehearse.
“When I learn any song I don’t over sing it, because there’s a point where you're thinking too much, then you overthink trying to remember certain lyrics, then you get to the spotlight and you forget it all,” he said.
The next few days will be a whirlwind of media commitments and song practice, but the main aim for Villanueva is to “keep healthy, keep fit, make sure we don’t get sick the day before”.
Aside from his family, the biggest thing he’s missed whilst being in the competition were his mates, and being able to catch up for lunch or a surf whenever he wanted.
Once the show was over he said he couldn’t wait to invite them around home for “a couple of cups of tea and some biscuits”.
“As soon as I left [Wollongong] it hit me how much they mean to me and how regular they were in my life, it’s been hard to be away from all of them.”
#GoTeamCyrus
