Diana Vickers

Diana Vickers, born 30 July 1991, is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. She achieved public recognition in 2008 as a semi-finalist on the fifth series of The X Factor, finishing in fourth place. Following the competition, she signed a record deal with RCA Records and subsequently starred in a West End revival of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice.

Vickers was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, England, and grew up in Huncoat, near Accrington, alongside her younger sister Charlotte. She attended Westholme School in Blackburn, where she studied for A Levels in Theatre Studies, Classics, and Psychology. She began taking singing lessons and competing in local competitions at the age of 11, though she did not perform professionally until adulthood.

After her tenure on The X Factor, Vickers began work on her debut studio album, Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree. Released in 2010, the album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and was certified gold by the BPI for sales of 100,000 copies. Her debut single, "Once", topped the UK Singles Chart, while follow-up singles "The Boy Who Murdered Love" and "My Wicked Heart" reached the top 40 and top 20 respectively. During 2010, she performed at numerous music festivals and became RCA's highest-grossing domestic artist by the end of the year.

In 2011, Vickers parted ways with RCA Records due to creative differences. She co-wrote the 2011 track "Mouth 2 Mouth" for Enrique Iglesias and Jennifer Lopez, and later signed a worldwide record deal with So Recordings in early 2013. Her second studio album, Music to Make Boys Cry, was released in September 2013 and reached number 37 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was promoted by the singles "Cinderella", "Music to Make Boys Cry", and "Mad at Me".

Vickers made her professional stage acting debut in October 2009 playing the title role in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice at London's Vaudeville Theatre. Her performance earned her the London Newcomer of the Year award at the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards in 2010. She launched a debut fashion line in 2011. She subsequently made her feature film debut in The Perfect Wave and her television acting debut in the comedy series Give Out Girls, both of which premiered in 2014.

In later years, Vickers expanded her work in theatre, podcasting, and television. She toured in productions of Dial M for Murder in 2021 and Steel Magnolias in 2023, co-hosts Ki & Dee: The Podcast alongside Kiara Hunter, and appeared in the comedy programme Not Going Out in 2025. In August 2025, she returned to music after a 12-year break with the single "Ice Cream", which she performed live at Manchester Pride.