More than the X Factor

32 year-old Kerry McGregor wowed us with her talent as a contestant in TV's The X Factor.  A great voice, stunning looks and a sparkling personality made her popular with the judges and the voting public.  After a few days back at home in the real world, Kerry took time out to talk to Able magazine about her life, her hopes and putting disability centre stage.

Given that so-called 'reality' television so often fails to reflect reality, many of us were pleasantly surprised to see Kerry McGregor roll into the X Factor auditions in Glasgow to sing 'Show Me Heaven'.  It made a refreshing change for a wheelchair user to make it so far in an industry in which disabled people are usually underrepresented.  And amongst so many out-of-tune diva wannabes, Elvis impersonators and other uninspiring novelty acts, Kerry obviously had a special talent.

This wasn't Kerry's first experience of the music industry; having previously sung in numerous bands and been runner-up in the competition to find Britain's entry for the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest, she had already experienced the ins and outs of the business, but she knew that many people had trouble seeing past her wheelchair. 

When it came to The X Factor, she told Able: "It was a massive achievement not to get discriminated against because of the chair.  It's something that I've always faced within the industry - when people see the cover of a CD and hear the music, they normally like what they see and hear; but when they're faced with the disability they really don't know how to make it work."

Having industry peers such as show judges Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh believe in her talent was gratifying and gave Kerry even more determination to make the most of this opportunity.

The national press made much out of Kerry's disability, but she didn't mind the reports: "I felt fine about it because that's a part of me.  There are lots of people out there with a disability.  It's happening every day, whether that be through accident or birth, and I think it's about time we saw people from all walks of life achieving in all walks of life."

Back on her Feet

During the period in which the X Factor was broadcast, photographs were published of Kerry out and about on crutches - something which dumbfounded many tabloid journalists, since she only ever appeared seated on the show.   Kerry laughs when she thinks back to the comments that were written in the press: "The funniest points that were made were things like 'Kerry's going to stand shoulder to shoulder when she performs on the night'. 

"There's no way that I could stand and perform - I would probably end up on my bottom on the stage!"

The remarks showed us all how naive the press can be about disability, since Kerry's level of paraplegia means she can manage with crutches, as she explains: "Not everyone in a wheelchair is 'bound' to the wheelchair.  It's important that the media see that.  The more times they see people getting up out of a wheelchair and helping themselves or being more independent than they expect them to be, the more the ignorance will stop and maybe the pity will stop along with it".

Kerry broke her back at the age of 13 when trying to fix a swing up in a tree.  It was a moment that would change her life forever, but as a young teenager Kerry struggled to comprehend the impact her accident would have. 

She comments: "When it was explained to me at first that I had a broken back, I genuinely thought I was just going to get a big stookie (plaster cast) round me.  I'd go back to school and get everyone's autographs on it and I'd be dancing again in no time." 

Before her accident, Kerry was keen on ballet and gymnastics, but there was a chance she'd never walk again.  Quickly rubbishing the medical prognosis, she learned to walk with full-length callipers and crutches.  And although it had no facilities for disabled children, Kerry fought to stay on at her mainstream school because she didn't want the double blow of breaking her back and losing her friends by changing schools.  After assessments and checks to ensure she would be OK in the event of a fire alarm and could get around the buildings easily, Kerry stayed on, and was given a Child of Achievement award in recognition of her determination.

Challenge

As an adult, Kerry feels the constant need to challenge herself and to be "out living life".  Although she has been unable to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming a dancer, she's long been determined to have a career in the entertainment industry and, as well as singing and songwriting, has also ventured into acting and starred in Channel 4's The Book Group. 

Kerry's particularly proud of her television acting debut and is glad that she's had the chance on more than one occasion to widen the portrayal of disabled people on television: "There are so many disabled actors out there that don't always get these opportunities.  There are disabled people everywhere around us.  It is a bit unfair when you're watching soaps and TV programmes and there's no one disabled in it, because that's an unrealistic view of the world," she says.

Kerry is aware of the fact that she's helped to make an impact on people's perceptions of disability by appearing on a primetime entertainment show and she has no issues with the concept of 'sympathy voting', which was often discussed in the papers during The X Factor. 

She explains: "If people want to give me their sympathy vote then that's fine.  Each to their own.  But I'd like to think that the majority vote was coming through on the strength of my character and my voice and not so much the disability."  She also knows that she changed the perceptions of her fellow X Factor contestants, some of whom had never before had the chance to work closely with a disabled person. 

Living in the X Factor house was a challenge to Kerry, as it was the first time she'd been away from the support systems at home and she had to be separated from her son Joshua, but she feels that she and her housemates gained a lot from the experience.

Positive

With an uplifting attitude towards life, Kerry says; "If you can bring a smile to your face it's the most therapeutic thing you can do."  And it's rare that a smile is not on her face. 

She told Able about one memorable experience from her travels in the US when she asked to use a disabled toilet: "The American host looked at me and said 'Why would you want a disabled toilet?'  I looked at my wheelchair as if to say 'Is it not obvious?' and he said, 'Oh! A handicapped toilet!  I was wondering why you'd want to use a broken toilet'." 

As reality dawned on Kerry and the language barrier broke down, an idea crossed her mind: "I though, well, it's very true - the word disabled is for something that doesn't work anymore; it's something that's broken, that's wrong, it's of no use.  I don't see myself as something that doesn't work, that's completely knackered!  I see myself as someone who's very attuned to what I can do and I'm proving it every step of the way."  And she plans to use that approach to promote the needs of disabled people across the country, especially now that she has a platform from which to speak. 

"It would be a shame to let this opportunity dwindle - it's an opportunity that should be used to highlight exactly what disability means.  There isn't enough happening out there for disabled people, there aren't enough opportunities and there is still discrimination.  It's time to drop that attitude," she says.

Kerry's appearance on The X Factor has shown many people that disability needn't hold anyone back; as she rightly states: "It's people that hold you back from having what it is that you desire - not the disability".

Future

So what does the future hold for Kerry post- X Factor?  As well as being a mum, she hopes to do more acting, songwriting and singing - perhaps even trying out presenting.  With the X Factor tour in the pipeline, Kerry is relishing the opportunity to perform live, bit she told us: "My first goal is to try and achieve a record contract and hopefully get my own music on the shelf." 

One thing's for sure after the X Factor lights have faded and the applause has died down, it won't be the last we see of Kerry: "The day that I give up will be the day that they're putting me in a box," she says.  "There's no better way of living life than to be out there taking part in it and that's how I feel about everything I strived for. 

"There'll be nothing in life that keeps me down for too long.  I'll always come back fighting and smiling - that's just me".

Kerry McGregor will be apprearing at Beyond Boundaries Live - a new, national consumer show, which will provide opportunities for disabled visitors to get involved in a host of new activities.  From sport to work, holidays to mobility, relationships to the arts, the show is packed with visitor features and the focus is firmly on a great day out. 

Beyond Boundaries Live takes places at Sandown Park, near London, on 29th and 30th June.  For more information and free tickets click here or call 0208 614 0833.

Acknowledgements

Article reproduced courtesy of Able magazine

Photographs courtesy of ITV / Talkback Thames

 

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