Joe McElderry 'unrecognisable' 15 years after X-Factor win

Joe McElderry is best known for winning The X Factor in 2009, beating Olly Murs in the final.

His debut single, "The Climb" (a cover of Miley Cyrus’s song), hit number one in the UK charts, though it famously lost out on the Christmas number-one spot to Rage Against the Machine.

Since then, after releasing his debut album, Wide Awake, Joe shifted to classical music following his win on Popstar to Operastar in 2011.

Joe McElderry back in the day (Image: ITV) This led to the successful release of Classic, an album of classical covers, and Classic Christmas, both of which performed well on the charts.

He continued to blend pop and classical sounds with his 2012 album, Here's What I Believe.

Joe's career took another turn when he ventured into musical theatre, starring in shows like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Tommy the Rock Opera.

His stage performances have been well-received, and he continues to tour and perform.

Joe McElderry attending the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, London, this year (Image: PA MEDIA) While his pop career didn’t sustain the chart-topping success of his early days, Joe has carved out a lasting career in classical crossover and musical theatre, earning a dedicated fanbase. He's also active in charity work and remains a familiar face in the UK entertainment world.

But he has now announced another career change and has revealed he has gone into podcasts - and it's all with a twist.

 The podcast, called 'That's Ridiculous', now in its fifth episode, is a hilarious, feel-good podcast where Joe McElderry and his unstoppable 90-year-old Grandma Hilda dive headfirst into the chaos of today's world.

Every week Hilda also answers listeners' dilemmas in ‘Help Me Hilda’ where they will get 100% unqualified, up-front and honest advice but with over 90 years of experience you wouldn’t want it from anyone else! Will Joe also succeed in getting Hilda on Tinder? 

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But it's not just this change of career that has been making fans of Joe's nostalgic, it's how he has changed. 

Taking to social media, fans of the music star have been calling him 'unrecognisable' from his XFactor days. 

One person joked online: "Is this the same person? It's crazy how much Joe has changed!"