Former Park House pupil makes it through to X Factor live shows

Ottavio Columbro and singing partner Bradley Hunt in Louis Walsh's final three

A FORMER Newbury resident has proved Simon Cowell wrong by making it through to The X Factor live shows.

Former Park House student Ottavio Columbro (pictured right) and his singing partner Bradley Hunt – known as Bratavio – were put through by Louis Walsh after performing at the judge’s houses in Ibiza.

The pair, dressed in matching shorts and vest outfits made from sweets, sang Christina Aguilera’s hit Candy Man for mentor Walsh and pop stars Alesha Dixon and Fleur East.

After a tense wait, they were told that they were one of the three groups going through.

Twenty-four-year-old Mr Columbro, formerly of Kings Road, but now living in Southampton, made it through to boot camp in 2012 but was promptly told by Simon Cowell that he couldn’t sing.

But in 2016, the former performing arts student at Newbury College has had the last laugh by being selected for the live shows.

Mr Columbro, who used to work at Tesco in London Road, Newbury, said: “It has been an incredible experience.

“Louis took a risk by putting us through but we are determined to show people what we can do. We are like marmite, people are either going to love us or hate us and we have even received death threats on social media,

“But we just try and get on with things and we see ourselves as a form of escapism. There’s a lot of bad things going on in the world and we just like to be able to bring a little fun.”

Mr Columbro was once a finalist of Newbury’s Got Talent, a contest organised by Newbury College in 2008.

You can see how Bratavio and the other 11 acts get on by tuning into ITV at 8pm, on Saturday.

To see 'Bratavio's' journey so far, watch the following video: