Born April 25, 1988, in Merseyside, England, Quinn first earned notoriety as a child actor, in 2000 beginning a three-year stint on the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside. His work as troubled teen Anthony Murray even earned a 2002 Inside Soap Award as Best Young Actor. While attending the Merseyside Dance and Drama College, Quinn auditioned for the ITV amateur talent showcase The X Factor in 2006. Judge Simon Cowell initially deemed him unfit to succeed to the semifinal round in the 16-to-24 age category but later changed his mind, and Quinn eventually made it to the final round of three, losing to Leona Lewis. Cowell nevertheless offered Quinn a record contract and in early 2007 he traveled to Los Angeles to cut his self-titled Sony BMG debut, a collection of swing-era classics including "My Way" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head." The album debuted atop the U.K. pop charts and earned the baby-faced Quinn a £100,000 sponsorship deal with Wella Hair Products. ~ Jason Ankeny