Hollie Michelle Jervis
Early life
Jervis showed an early interest in performing, initially inspired by seeing a friend take piano lessons, which made her envious.
Career
Early career and X Factor appearance
Jervis began her career performing at hotels, weddings, and holiday parks across the UK, including for chains such as Parkdean Resorts. In 2008, she auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor, performing "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" from Hairspray. While her confidence was notable, her performance was met with criticism from the judges. Simon Cowell likened her mouth to a "cave", while Dannii Minogue suggested it was "verging on funny rather than serious." However, Cheryl acknowledged her passion and recommended she "take up preaching or speeching [sic]".
Post-X Factor career
Despite not advancing in The X Factor, Jervis continued her musical pursuits. She performed on the UK cabaret circuit and worked as a tribute act to Cher and Ellie Goulding. When Goulding received news of this, she invited Jervis to appear in the lyric video for "Something in the Way You Move". Jervis also released music independently, although it did not achieve mainstream success.
In 2010, her website advertised her work as a wedding entertainer.
Cultural impact
Jervis’s audition has since been rediscovered on social media, particularly within LGBTQ+ communities, leading to her being celebrated as an icon of "hun culture". In 2020 Rylan Clark proposed Jervis as a contestant on a comeback series of Celebrity Big Brother. In 2021 It was suggested that Veronica Green should play Jervis for Snatch Game on RuPaul's Drag Race UK. In 2022 a spoof Strictly Come Dancing account on X (then known as Twitter) purported that Jervis would be a contestant in series 20. In 2023 Birmingham Live erroneously reported that Jervis had commented on a Denise Welch death hoax on Twitter, the account likely belonging to a fan. That same year, a writer for The Tab quipped that Jervis was "at the centre of a Gay Twitter civil war".
See also
References
- ^ Copson, Josie (2023-10-12). "It's been 15 years since the most iconic X Factor audition ever". Metro. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (2022-02-15). "Jervisgate: How an X Factor auditionee is at the centre of a Gay Twitter civil war". The Tab. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (13 October 2021). "Which iconic British huns would survive six rounds of Squid Game?". The Tab. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Life & Performance". YouTube. 10 October 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Holly Jervis". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
- ^ Ramos, Maryelin (2021-05-03). "Watch 'X Factor UK' Judges' Embarrassing Career Suggestions for singer Holly Jervis". Talent Recap. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ^ Capanna, Sara (2020-07-20). "The X-Factor: 10 Funniest Moments On The Show, Ranked". ScreenRant. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ "THROWBACK: Remember When Simon Cowell Branded A Contestant 'Cave Mouth' On X Factor?". Tyla. 2024-05-12.
- ^ Lewis, Maddi (2014-06-20). "15 Most Appalling X Factor Auditions Ever". WhatCulture.com. Retrieved 2025-02-01.
- ^ Copson, Josie (2023-12-13). "X Factor 2008 finalists reflect on the most iconic series ever, 15 years on". Metro. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Ramos, Maryelin (2021-05-03). "Watch 'X Factor UK' Judges' Embarrassing Career Suggestions for singer Holly Jervis". Talent Recap. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ "Holly Jervis - StarNow Profile". StarNow. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Chess ICT (2019-09-15). Chess Chat with Hollie Jervis | Partner Webinar. Retrieved 2025-02-01 – via YouTube.
- ^ EllieGouldingVEVO (2015-10-09). Ellie Goulding - Something In The Way You Move (Fan Dance Lyric Video). Retrieved 2025-02-01 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Holli Jervais Online - Gallery". Holli Jervais Online. Archived from the original on 2010-09-09. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
- ^ Greenwood, Carl (2015-05-06). "Watch the 7 angriest contestants EVER to grace the X Factor stage". The Mirror. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
- ^ Griffiths, George (2020-04-24). "Rylan's dream Celebrity Big Brother line-up is all kinds of iconic". Metro. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ Brocklehurst, Harrison (2021-02-03). "Who should the Drag Race UK queens play on Snatch Game?". Dazed. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ Duke, Simon (2022-08-08). "Fake Strictly account causes stir with 'confirmed' contestants". Chronicle Live. Retrieved 2025-01-31.
- ^ Hallam, Katy (2023-12-03). "Denise Welch says 'alive and well' after fans flood her with concerned messages". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 2025-01-31.