X Factor star Chico 18 years after show, from near death experience to fitness career
After his rise to fame after the quarter finals on the 2005 series of The X Factor, fans of the show have been left wondering whatever happened to Chico.
Famed for his number one hit It’s Chico Time, which knocked Madonna’s Sorry off the top spot, the cheeky chap left the spotlight behind when his singing career fizzled out.
The 52-year-old, whose real name is Yousseph Slimani, was just 34 when he shot to fame on the ITV talent show alongside other memorable blasts from the past including winner Shayne Ward.
The Welsh-born entertainer, who brought up in Morocco until the age of 14, trained as an electrical engineer but fame came calling and he applied for the show which saw his life change overnight.
He won the hearts of the nation with his chaotic antics including jumping into Sharon Osbourne’s pool during auditions, microphone in hand, and Simon Cowell even called him a ‘born entertainer.’
The star soon fell on troubled times though when his music fizzled out and he lost every penny he ever made from his singing career.
He turned to pantos and gameshow appearances to raise his profile and holiday camp shows helped him pay the bills, but worse was still to come.
The star was dealt the ultimate blow when during one of the fittest times of his life, he suffered a devastating stroke, aged just 47.
After running a fitness class the singer lost control of his senses, blacking out shortly after pulling over his car. He was rushed to hospital with tests confirming that a massive blood clot had travelled to his brain. Doctors at the time warned him it could have killed him.
Chico appeared regularly on our screens, taking part in Dancing on Ice in 2012, Pointless Celebrities and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.
He has devoted a lot of his time and efforts on charity work over the years, founding the Rainbow Child Foundation with his wife Daniyela Rakic, resulting in the pair opening an orphanage in Cambodia.
Not many fans realise either that his single Curvy Cola Bottle Body was a protest against the ‘size zero’ phenomenon. As part of its promotion, Chico teamed up with the British Eating Disorders Association (BEAT) charity with profits from the single donated to the charity.
Although grateful for the platform X Factor gave him, he turned against the show which made him a star, slamming the show for "using and abusing" contestants.
In 2021, Chico said aspiring artists are "naive and silly" to expect a long career in the music industry after appearing on the show. He told Late Night with Cristo on talkRADIO he used his short-lived fame as a "platform" to "go on and do other things".
Chico, now lives in Portugal with his wife Daniyela and has two children, Lalla-Khira and Zacharia. He runs a wellness retreat and specialises in Block Fit, which is inspired by two of his heroes Muhammed Ali and Bruce Lee combining combat, dance and HIIT.
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