Josh Daniels Moves Simon Cowell To Tears With Performance On ‘X Factor’

Josh Daniels‘ moving performance on the UK’s  X Factor last Saturday brought Simon Cowell to tears.

SIMON COWELL TEARS UP

Daniels, 21, sang Labrinth‘s “Jealous” for his X Factor audition on Saturday. Cowell, who usually comes off as tough, unimpressed and sometimes rude, shed a few tears on the show after Daniels’ performance.

Daniels chose to sing “Jealous” in memory of his friend who passed away. “I lost my best friend a couple of years ago, and I kind of interpret the lyrics in a completely different way,” he told the judges. “The lyrics kind of say, ‘I’m jealous that you’re happy without me,’ and I kind of see it in the sense that I’m jealous that he’s now happy in heaven, and that he’s moved on to a better place, and that I can’t still be with him.”

When Daniels finished, Cowell gestured to judge Cheryl Cole to speak first.

“That was the most captivated I´ve been in all the auditions so far,” Cheryl told Daniels. She then went up on stage to give Daniels a hug and told him, “I’m sorry for whatever it is you went through.”

Cowell is noticably crying as Cheryl returns to her chair. After judge Nick Grimshaw said a few words, Cowell told the judges, “let’s go to a vote,” without commenting on the performance. All three judges gave Daniels a “yes” and Cowell tossed Daniels an approving wink.

The next episode of X Factor (UK) airs on Saturday, Sept. 5.