Katie Waissel rose to stardom on The X Factor in 2010, yet she appeared on Vanderpump Rules at a tattoo shop five years later.
After fumbling over the words to Queen’s We Are The Champions, she charmed Simon Cowell and Cheryl with her version of At Last by Etta James.
The skilled pianist advanced to the live performances, finishing seventh behind Matt Cardle, and released her self-titled first album in March 2011.
Katie vanished from the spotlight after her stint on the programme and has now retrained as a lawyer, preparing to sue Simon Cowell’s firm.
The 37-year-old had a heart attack in November of last year and has been in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) therapy for ten years.
Fans have noticed the singer on an episode of Vanderpump Rules from 2015 – episode 10, season four, if anyone is interested.
The cameo has gone unnoticed until it appeared in a Reddit post on the subreddit for the reality show, with the shocked viewer writing: ‘Katie from tattoo removal shop/Kristen friend was on UK X-factor?!’
Katie, whose grandmother was Britain’s oldest sex worker, appeared on two episodes of the long-running Bravo show, perplexing fans.
Katie was originally presented as Kristen Doute’s buddy during the 30th birthday celebration of major cast member Scheana Shay.
She then appeared at her actual work as an office manager at a tattoo removal firm in Los Angeles, as shown in the viral photo.
While the collision of cultures may appear strange, Katie came to Los Angeles in 2013 following a brief affair with model Brad Alphonso.
In September 2012, only 16 weeks after meeting, the couple married in an intimate ceremony in New Orleans.
The pair divorced two months later, alleging “horrible rows” – this was still three years before her appearance on Vanderpump Rules.
Katie returned to the UK before 2016 and competed on Celebrity Big Brother, where she finished ninth.
She gave birth to her son Hudson in 2018 and has since finished a postgraduate legal study.
It was reported earlier this year that she was attempting to sue Syco Entertainment for breach of duty of care.
Katie also founded the OWHL Foundation, a charity ‘overseeing welfare, human rights and liberty within the creative industry sector’.
In regards to her X Factor contracts, she told the Times: ‘There are so many of us who have been so trapped and it’s not fair, there was a huge imbalance in power.’
Source My Celebrity Life.
