X Factor favourite Nicholas McDonald looking forward to returning to Lanarkshire stage
There's no place like home for former X Factor finalist Nicholas McDonald who is looking forward to performing in Lanarkshire again.
Nicholas shot to fame after finishing runner-up to Sam Bailey in series 10 of the competition in 2013.
Brought up in Wishaw, the 28-year-old still lives in North Lanarkshire but spends much of his time all over Britain and Europe, amassing over a hundred live performances each year.
He is now bringing his full-band show to Airdrie Town Hall later this month, his first and possibly only performance in Lanarkshire this year.
Nicholas played Hamilton Town Hall last year, he followed that up by appearing at NHS Lanarkshire Awards ceremony in October last year and dedicated the performance to staff who cared for him. He suffered a cardiac arrest while playing football in East Kilbride at 10 years old and following tests was diagnosed with Long QT syndrome.
'The one at Hamilton last year was such a success that we thought we'd do Airdrie this time. I have played there before during a charity show years ago.
'I never get to do many local shows so it's nice to be back in the area. It won't be the same show as last year and I will be playing some original music as well as the favourites.
'I actually have family coming over from Florida for the show as well. I'm really looking forward to it.
'I'm just back from Egypt where I was doing some shows there and I'm really busy for the rest of the year.
'I'm very lucky in that I do around 120 shows a year, and 12 years down the line [from The X Factor] I get to call it my full-time job.
'I'm thankful and grateful that people spend their hard-earned money to come out and see me, especially now with the cost-of-living crisis, and that doesn't go unrecognised. I really appreciate every single person who buys a ticket and comes along after all these years.
"It's a dream to call this my job and I absolutely love it. I do the show production myself, I haven't any management or special PR team doing it for me.'
Nicholas still keeps in touch with X Factor winner Sam Bailey, the two forged a great friendship while on the show.
'I met up with Sam a few months ago when she was part of a musical at the Kings Theatre in Glasgow. We hope we can do something together at some point but it's finding dates that suit both our schedules. I think it would be a first because I don't think an X Factor winner and runner-up have actually done their own show together.'
Tickets for Nicholas Airdrie show are priced from £26 from: https://culturenl.co.uk/nicholas-mcdonald or by calling the Box Office on 01698 274545.
VIP tickets are also available which include a meet and greet with Nicholas before the show, a professional photo, front row seats, a signed poster, and a souvenir VIP lanyard.
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