Stevi Ritchie | |
|---|---|
 Ritchie withEmma Bunton in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Steven Andrew Ritchie (1980-09-17)17 September 1980 (age 45) |
| Occupations | Singer, Actor |
| Years active | 2014–present |
Steven Andrew Ritchie (born 17 September 1980) is an English singer, reality television star and actor known for his appearances onThe X Factor andCelebrity Big Brother.[1]
In 2014, Ritchie auditioned foreleventh series ofThe X Factor, singing "Dance with Me Tonight". Mentored bySimon Cowell, he was not initially selected for the live shows, butCheryl Fernandez-Versini chose him to be the Over 26s wildcard. After the eliminations ofOverload Generation in week 1 andJack Walton andLola Saunders in week 4, Ritchie was the last wildcard contestant left in the competition. In week 6, Ritchie was in the bottom two with fellow Over 26s contestantJay James. Cowell andLouis Walsh voted to save James, butMel B and Fernandez-Versini who chose him as a wildcard contestant and had the casting vote, voted to save Ritchie. This meant Fernandez-Versini sent the vote to deadlock and James was sent home.[citation needed] The following week, he was in the bottom two again withAndrea Faustini and was eliminated by the judges with only Cowell voting to send Ritchie through to the quarter-final, and Mel B, Fernandez-Versini and Walsh voting to send Faustini through to the quarter-final, and he was eliminated.[citation needed] However, voting statistics revealed that Ritchie received more votes than Faustini which meant that if Walsh sent the result to deadlock, Ritchie would have advanced to the quarter-final and Faustini would have been eliminated.
He was however brought back for multiple guest star performances
| The X Factor performances and results (2014) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage | Song | Theme | Result |
| Room audition | "Dance with Me Tonight -Olly Murs" | Free choice | Through to arena |
| Arena audition | "Don't Stop Me Now -Queen" | Free choice | Through to bootcamp |
| Six-chair challenge (bootcamp) | "The Time of My Life" | Free choice | Through to judges' houses |
| Judges'houses | "I'm a Believer -The Monkees" | Free choice | Eliminated but brought back as a wildcard byCheryl Fernandez-Versini |
| Live week 1 | "Livin' la Vida Loca" | Number ones | Safe (10th) |
| Live week 2 | "Never Gonna Give You Up" | 80's night | Safe (8th) |
| Live week 3 | "Footloose" | Saturday night at the movies | Safe (7th) |
| Live week 4 | "The Music of the Night" | Fright night (Halloween) | Safe (3rd) |
| Live week 5 | "Bohemian Rhapsody" | Michael Jackson vs.Queen | Safe (6th) |
| Live week 6 | "She Bangs" / "Mambo No. 5" | Big band | Bottom two (7th) |
| "Somebody to Love" | Free choice | Safe (Deadlock) | |
| Live week 7 | "I'm Still Standing" | Whitney Houston vs.Elton John | Bottom two (5th) |
| "This Is the Moment" | Free choice | Eliminated (sixth place) | |
Ritchie participated in thesixteenth series ofCelebrity Big Brother with fiancé,Chloe Jasmine Whichello. On 24 September, they reached the final on Day 29 and placed 5th.[2]
In August 2015, Ritchie and Whichello appeared in an episode ofKeep It in the Family. He also appeared in a celebrity edition ofChannel 4 game showBenchmark in October 2015. He has made appearances onGood Morning Britain,Lorraine,This Morning andLoose Women. He has also taken part in theCBBC game showUltimate Brain.[3] On 15 August 2016Essex County Standard reported that Essex TV had commissioned a show hosted by Ritchie dubbed 'Stevi Ritchie Takes On Essex.'[4]
On Saturday 4 November 2017 Stevi performed alongside Britain's Got Talent star Paul Manners at Bridgwater Carnival.[5][6][7]
In 2023 he became a calling host at Mecca Bingo Luton[8]
Ritchie and fellow contestantChloe Jasmine Whichello began dating during their participation onThe X Factor, Ritchie has a daughter, Summer, from a previous relationship.
In 2007, Ritchie trained as professional wrestler, having a few professional matches using the name "Steve Straight".