Cher Lloyd, 17, is a student from Malvern, Worcestershire, United Kingdom. She is of Romany ancestry through her mother. She studied performing arts at Dyson Perrins CE Sports College in 2009. She auditioned for The X Factor twice before (when the minimum age was lower) singing ballads but it was only after reinventing herself in 2010 that she got through to see the judges. Lloyd has previously performed at holiday camps and said she gets a mixed reaction to her music. She auditioned singing the Keri Hilson version of Turn My Swag On.