When Cyrus Villanueva finished high school last year, he wasn’t sure where his life would lead or what career path he’d go down.
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One year after sitting his HSC exams life has drastically changed for the 19 year old from Dapto, who returned to his old stomping ground Kanahooka High School as a superstar on Wednesday.
“It wasn’t that long ago I was sitting behind a desk listening to [my teachers] tell me how to get a good ATAR and now i’m going back as an X Factor grand finalist,” said Villanueva.
His former principal Chris Toohey was excited to host her humble pupil from yesteryear, his mentor Chris Isaak and a Prime7 television film crew.
Hundreds of students lined the road into the school chanting “Cyrus”, holding home-made signs of support
“He’s a lovely young man, he’s got such a perfect nature about him, he’s very humble, he’s very talented, he’s a kid who started off singing in assemblies,” said Ms Toohey.
She said it was a testament to public education and an example of how “from little things big things come”.
Villanueva and his mentor also visited his old music teacher to say thank you, and give advice to up and coming students before jumping on the piano to show them how it’s done.
Currently bookies have him picked as hot favourite to win, and Isaak hopes he does.
He said he always had the talent but somewhere along the line the singer realised his potential.
“He had the pipes, he had the ability but about halfway through he looked around and realised he could win this thing,” said Isaak. “This year I think we’ve got tremendous talent on the show and everybody comes up and does a great job, then Cyrus comes up and it’s like he’s in a different league.”
The judge admitted he worries about Villanueva more than he should, and is concerned about the aftermath of the competition “because life goes on”.
He agreed with Ms Toohey about the humbleness of the teen, that he’s everybody’s friend and always has time to help anybody.
“I hope he has a career, but he’s a nice guy. Backstage he’s a nice guy. So my feeling is he’s going to have a good life, he’s doing the right things. It’s not like he wants to get high and party,” he said.
Isaak suggested if Villanueva wasn’t crowned winner and lost out on the Sony Music recording contract he may step in to help him.
“I told him I said ‘you’ve got friends in show business you know me now, call me up, you got any questions, call me, call my manager’ - we like him. So I think he’s going to do ok.”
