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Asperger's Man Could Be Next Susan Boyle

Briton who can barely leave the house wows X Factor judges

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 5, 2009 2:36 PM CDT

(Newser) – A young singer with Asperger’s syndrome who once spent 7 years without leaving his home is poised to take the British reality TV world by storm, the Independent reports. 21-year-old Scott James’ yet-to-be broadcast audition on the show X Factor features a rave review from Simon Cowell, earning him comparisons to Susan Boyle. “The audience went mental after his performance,” another judge says.

“He just stood there calmly and told us that his singing teacher had been helping him to build his confidence,” the judge continues. “Then he started singing. You will not believe his performance when you see it.” It even earned him a rare backstage visit from Cowell himself, who called James “brilliant.” The singer was encouraged by his parents to record, which led to a mentorship by local producers, public performances, and, finally, X Factor.

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Scott James in performance.

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In this video by Sharon Shazza, Scott James performs "Streets of London." (YouTube)

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[Simon] did seem quite concerned about Scott and asked me how I thought he would cope if he got further into the competition. But Scott has just taken it all in his stride. - Linzi Hunter, vocal coach

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Asperger's Man Could Be Next Susan Boyle