He made an emotional return to The X Factor, a decade after being booted off the show in 2007.
Now Aidan Martin has revealed how he hit rock bottom after his failed stint when his spiralling cocaine habit led to him use a credit card stolen from rugby union legend Lawrence Dallaglio.
After auditioning for the show a decade ago, the singer fell into the ‘wrong crowd’ and began regularly usuing drugs to ‘excess’.
‘Hell on Earth’: Aidan Martin has revealed how he hit rock bottom after his first failed stint on The X Factor when his spiralling cocaine habit led to him use a credit card stolen from rugby union legend Lawrence Dallaglio
‘It was Hell on Earth. I lost my way. I hung out with the wrong crowd and I was doing drugs – cocaine and weed. I was doing it to excess,’ he told The Mirror.
‘I was on a downward spiral and I had no idea how I’d get out. It was horrendous.’
The 27-year-old was arrested in 2010 for trying to use a credit card stolen from England ace Dallaglio on a £43 bill at a Soho restaurant, which resulted in his family disowning him and his sister kicking him out of their shared home.
‘My parents stopped speaking to me. I had nowhere to live, no money, nothing. I looked terrible, I had no ambition, I had nothing.’
He was handed 80 hours community service in 2012. He has since changed his surname from Salter.
His 2017 return to The X Factor means his dirty laundry has been re-aired; and to add to his worry, speaking about his checkered past means he risks being kicked off the show yet again.
Back again: He made an emotional return to The X Factor, a decade after being booted off the show in 2007. And having won over the judges this time around, clearly having rebuilt his life over time, Aidan Martin has opened up about the terrible few years he’s had since he was last seen on our screens
Teary-eyed: Talent show hopeful Aidan Martin, 27, poured his heart and soul into his performance of his self-penned track Punchline which left both Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger emotional
Hitting the right notes: The song – which went down a treat with viewers – left music manager Sharon welling up in a matter of seconds as Aidan delivered the tune with passion and raw emotion
Anthony Russell – another contestant – was axed when he admitted to producers behind-the-scenes that he was using drugs.
Aidan returns to screens this weekend in the bootcamp portion of the process, after he left two of the judges in tears with a rousing original song after his first audition.
He poured his heart and soul into his performance of his self-penned track Punchline which left both Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger emotional.
The barman revealed to the judges before he began singing that he wrote the song about the demise of his relationship.
Emotional: The barman – who audition for the show in 2007, previously reaching bootcamp – revealed to the judges before he began singing that he wrote the song about the demise of his relationship
Impressive: The talented singer gave his audition everything he had
‘I was really in love with someone, I’m a jokey fun person,’ he began. ‘I hurt and I feel like everybody else.’
While head judge Simon Cowell asked who broke up with who, Aidan admitted: ‘It was kind of a mutual agreement.’
Vowing to never get back with his former flame, he added that he wanted his ex to know he’s ‘not a joke’.
The song – which went down a treat with viewers – left music manager Sharon welling up in a matter of seconds as Aidan delivered the tune with passion and raw emotion.
Future star: Sharon proved to be clearly impressed with his songwriting
Captivated by his words, Nicole turned to Simon at the end of the performance to also wipe her tears and confess: ‘I’m crying’.
Sharon – who was overcome with emotion initially – admitted that it was a ‘beautiful, beautiful song’, before adding: ‘it was just perfect’.
While Nicole added: ‘You have a beautiful voice, I would say this was a very special audition.’
She later weighed in with some motivational words after they delivered four yeses to send him through to bootcamp: ‘Baby, you’re not a joke, you’re a force to be reckoned with’.
Caught up: Captivated by his words, Nicole turned to Simon at the end of the performance to also wipe her tears and confess: ‘I’m crying’
His all: While Nicole added: ‘You have a beautiful voice, I would say this was a very special audition.’ She later weighed in with some motivational words after they delivered four yeses to send him through to bootcamp: ‘Baby, you’re not a joke, you’re a force to be reckoned with’