IT IS not every day that a young singer gets compared with Jesus while making his first television appearance.

But is happened to Slough man Nate Simpson, 23, when he made a scintillating appearance on television's the X Factor on Saturday.

His performance of the famous Sam Cooke song A Change is Going to Come delighted judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne.

But it was ex-Pussycat doll Nicole Scherzinger who said 'you opened your mouth and Jesus came out'.

The former Desborough School pupil also made it through the series' notorious boot camp - shown on television the following night.

This weekend fans of the show will see him take part in the six chair challenge in front of a live audience at Wembley Arena.

His mentor is Nicole of course. She will decide if he deserves one of six coveted seats. But he could be knocked out if she decides to replace him.

It all started for Nate in his home town.

He said: "I was just messing around singing really when I was about 14 or 15 at school.

"But people told me it was good. Then at 16 I started taking it more seriously when I went to Slough Young Peoples' Centre.

"It was SWIPE in Slough that really got me started though."

SWIPE is the Slough based organisation formed to give people in the town a chance to develop their music skills, while learning how to record and mix their own music.

Nate said: "It was up to me after SWIPE. I got my own musicians and started gigging anywhere I could."

He has already built quite a reputation.

His debut single from his EP Steady gained national airplay on the Huw Stephens show on BBC radio 1.

He has performed at the Natural History Museum, London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scotts Jazz Club and BBC Radio 2 Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

He has supported acclaimed singers including Julie Dexter and Finley Quae on tour in between a host of festival gigs alongside the likes of Beverly Knight and Jamie Cullum.

Recently Nate has been back in the studio including Abbey Road recording his new material.