EX-it Factor for singing soldier Ryan

On Saturday night, 29 September 2007, millions of viewers watched the 22-year-old cavalryman from Caerphilly, a member of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, crash out of the programme as he failed to progress beyond the show's 'Boot Camp' stage.

On his return to work at the Army barracks in Osnabrück, Germany, Ryan, nicknamed 'Superstar' by his Army colleagues, said:

"I'm going back next year with a vengeance. I'm flat out gutted - it was emotional. Even the producers seemed pretty upset that I was going, but every one of them said you've got to come back next year. I'm going to definitely take some singing lessons and make it mine next year."

Ryan attended the four day selection process, held in Oxfordshire, with around 250 other hopefuls whittled down from the 200,000 original applicants. Before he received his marching orders Ryan told the show's host, Dermot O'Leary:

"This is a life changing event for me. I just really, really want this so much."

However the Trooper's nerves got the better of him and he forgot the words to his song. He was then ejected from the competition despite the support of celebrity judge Simon Cowell who said:

"Part of me thinks as a mentor I'd like to take him under my wing and teach him how to sing and perform."

Ryan first appeared on screen in August when over ten million viewers watched him receive a 'yes' from each of the four judges to propel him to the Boot Camp stage of the programme. Dannii Minogue appeared particularly impressed with Ryan, saying after his performance:

"You're gorgeous; girls will fall over and melt when they see you."

A digital video of Ryan's audition appears on the YouTube website and has been viewed more than 400,000 times. His performance also made headlines in the UK and Germany as well as across the Forces' world.

Ryan, who returned from a seven month tour of southern Iraq as part of 20th Armoured Brigade last year, claims that his Boot Camp experience was more nerve wracking than serving in the Middle East:

"My whole body went numb," he said. "I don't know why I got so nervous - it was unbearable. I've learnt how nervous one person can get when under pressure. The difference is that in the Army you're trained to cope with the stress, on the X Factor it's different - it's more nerves than pressure."

"I wasn't even expecting to make it beyond the first round; everything since has been a bonus. But now I believe I can really do it next year," he continued.

Within his Regiment, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards, there has been massive interest in the Trooper's appearance on the show. Ryan's day job sees him behind the wheel of a Scimitar Armoured Vehicle, which he drives for Sergeant 'The Nut' Hurford, who said:

"He did well. He's good and he's had the gumph to have a crack at success. When I watched (his audition) I had a chuckle with my wife. But funnily enough he's got some fans, including my daughter."

Most of 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards - known as 'The Welsh Cavalry' - were glued to their screens on Saturday night as the Boot Camp episode was being aired on British Forces television for the troops and families serving with 20th Armoured Brigade in Germany.

Ryan, who was philosophical in defeat, concluded:

"A couple of the boys didn't believe I was going for it at first but since they saw me on the TV they've all been really good about it. I'd really like to thank the Regiment for letting me have this opportunity."