Eoghan Quigg was the baby-faced X Factor star in 2008 known for his sweet smile and spiky hair - but he looks completely different now with a new career and family life

Eoghan Quigg, once the cherubic singer everyone wanted to embrace, has undergone a dramatic transformation since his teenage years when he captured the nation's affection.

The Northern Irish lad, recognised for his endearing grin and signature spiky hairdo, was a mere 16 when he first showcased his talent to the judges in 2008.

Eoghan's charisma won over all the judges, with Louis Walsh praising the young star's "star quality" and Simon Cowell affirming: "Whatever it is, you've got it." Looking back on his stint on the popular show, Eoghan shared that he has "so many fond memories" of his time as a contestant and considers himself "one of the lucky ones" for having such a positive experience.

Now 33, the star looks "unrecognisable" and "looking good" according to fans. He posted a video last December, making light of his experience on X-Factor in a fun video, showing off his tattooed arms and new hairstyle.

The footage shows Eoghan emerging from his Christmas-decorated front door with the audio "every f**king person in this place fancies me" whilst a written caption states: "POV - arriving back in Ireland after The X Factor in 2008."

Eoghan accompanied the clip with: "Where are all the Quigglets at these days?" alongside eyes and laughing emojis. In 2008, Eoghan made it to the grand finale on the show, securing an honourable third place, trailing behind runners-up JLS and champion Alexandra Burke.

Besides his singing prowess, Eoghan's off-camera escapades with fellow contestant Diana Vickers sparked a flurry of romantic speculation. The duo, who grew close whilst residing in The X Factor house, were caught sharing a fervent kiss, leading Simon to label them as "just a couple of kids in love".

The most poignant display of their bond came when Diana was dramatically eliminated from the contest during the semi-finals. After failing to secure enough public votes, Diana returned to the X Factor stage for a final heartfelt performance of Dido's 'White Flag'.

However, a distraught Eoghan couldn't contain his emotions and interrupted her swansong mid-performance to envelop her in a comforting hug, prematurely ending her rendition. "She's a really lovely girl and we have got a strong bond together. We'll just have to wait and see what happens," he revealed at the time when quizzed about their budding romance.

Yet Eoghan was said to be "gutted" after Diana chose to put any potential relationship on hold to focus on her burgeoning career. "Right now, I'm not going to think about anything like that," she stated whilst addressing her connection with Eoghan, though she confessed she'd like to spend more time with him.

"I don't know what's going to happen. There's a difference between loving each other and being in love. I love him to bits." Merely months afterwards, Eoghan acknowledged he'd lost touch with Diana entirely and declared himself a "single pringle now".

He clarified: "We were really really good friends, but there wasn't a relationship like everyone thought there was. But there wasn't. We're not in touch now as I'm really, really, really busy."

High expectations surrounded Eoghan following his X Factor stint, with a record deal under mentor Simon Cowell's label seemingly guaranteed. Yet Simon withdrew from the arrangement, leaving the young vocalist to eventually ink a deal with RCA Records, releasing his self-titled debut album Eoghan Quigg in April 2009.

When pressed about whether he missed Simon Cowell, who reneged on his post-show signing promise, Eoghan responded bluntly: "Not really, no." The album topped the Irish Albums Chart but managed only 14th position in the UK - whilst his only single '28,000 Friends' limped to No. 96 in the UK Singles Chart.

The record received harsh criticism and disappointing sales figures led to RCA parting ways with Eoghan. In 2014, Eoghan attempted to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest with 'The Movie Song' but ultimately secured second place in the competition.

Concluding his musical chapter, Eoghan pivoted towards football, joining Northern Irish side Coagh United FC in 2015 before transferring to Portstewart FC. This career shift coincided with the baby-faced performer transforming his physique and acquiring an extensive sleeve tattoo across his left arm.

His iconic spiky hairstyle has become a distant memory, with Eoghan opting for a hair transplant procedure in 2020. Taking to Instagram, Eoghan revealed he'd become an ambassador for a Turkish hair clinic in Istanbul, with numerous people contacting him for advice after he documented his transformation.

"I have to say it is the best decision I have ever made. For men, losing their hair can be such a stressful experience and one that we maybe don't often open up or talk about enough," he shared in a post alongside photographs showing his progress.

He added: " I know that from my experience when I started to notice my hair thinning and receding I was so insecure about it and I always tried to cover it up and successfully did for years

"Since getting the hairline transplant and being open and honest about it, I've had so many men and women messaging me to say fair play, how they want to get it done, asking how do they go about it, cost, aftercare, does it really work etc and it's been so refreshing actually finding out how many people where feeling how I used to feel and that I wasn't the only one."

The semi-professional footballer hasn't abandoned his entertainment career entirely, having launched into radio presenting back in 2017. He's been delivering showbiz updates for Irish broadcaster Q Radio ever since. He remains active on the music scene, taking bookings and performing intimate acoustic sets for devoted fans, whilst also being a member of popular Irish wedding ensemble The Housem8s.

On the romantic front, Eoghan and partner Amy Campbell began their relationship in 2015, purchasing a property together four years down the line. The couple reside in Derry alongside their two children Emmy Belle, who arrived in April 2021, and Camden, who was born in 2023. As well as Amy's two youngsters from an earlier relationship. Eoghan and Amy also tied the knot last year in Las Vegas

The couple announced their exciting news on social media sharing a video captioned: "So we've been keeping a little secret. What happens in Vegas.."

Prior to his daughter's arrival, Eoghan spoke about his anticipation of fatherhood. "We are both delighted, absolutely over the moon," he revealed to The Belfast Telegraph. "In a very strange and tough year, it's fantastic news and has definitely turned 2020 into a very memorable year for us - in a good way."

Eoghan regularly posts glimpses of family life on social media, describing baby Emmy Belle as his "pride and joy". He also posted a photograph of Emmy sleeping peacefully on his chest whilst he gazed casually into the distance, captioning it: "The perfect Friday night." The couple then welcomed son Camden in April 2023.

But he admitted that he would never allow his own children to participate in reality TV due to the increased "lot more negativity around" compared to when he was on the show. He went on to add: "If my child asked me now 'Daddy can I go on a reality TV show' I don't think I'd be really comfortable with that. Just with the social media aspect. I was lucky enough when I was on in 2008 social media wasn't really that big. It was just starting out and I kind of have to count my blessings for that. Because it's a very dark place."