THE X Factor’s Anthony Russell looks unrecognisable four years after being booted off the tour following a drug scandal.
The 32-year-old star came third on the ITV competition in 2018 after auditioning for the show THREE times.
In February 2019 The Celeb Report exclusively revealed that Anthony was kicked off The X Factor Live tour after finding himself at the centre of a “drugs” scandal.
The singer agreed to leave hours before he was due on stage in Hull on February 25, 2019.
Anthony looks very different now in new photos shared on his Instagram account.
The singer showcased his changed appearance showing off his longer tresses as he returned to the music studio.
In 2019, Anthony broke his silence after being caught with “cocaine” by show bosses and booted from the tour.
He claimed that he is “dealing with his issues” and that he is now “better than ever”.
In a video that was posted to his Instagram account, Anthony said: “Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for the love and support you have been giving me these last couple of months.
“It’s been really hard and I am dealing with my issues.
“I’d like to thank everyone for respecting my privacy.”
The TV star went on to tease new music, adding: “Moving forward, I feel I am better than ever, I feel great, and I have a lot of music coming out.
“Big things are coming.
“Thank you so much for the love and support, I couldn’t have done it without you.
“I am looking forward to moving forward and smashing the life out of it, thank you very much for coming with me on this journey.”
He captioned the post: “Thank you all for your patience, it’s been a tough few months and I thank you all for respecting my privacy!
“I’m back and I’m feeling better than ever! Big things coming, thank you all again for your constant support of me and backing me, I’d be nothing without it!
“I promise you I’ll always get back up and come back fighting!! Let’s move forward.”
The Celeb Report Online exclusively revealed that tour staff found suspicious plastic bags filled with white powder in Anthony’s hotel room.
A show source told us at the time: “We found suspicious plastic bags with a white powder in them.
“We think it was cocaine and we obviously couldn’t keep him on the tour.”
He originally auditioned for X Factor in 2007, at the tender age of 17, in front of Simon Cowell, Sharon Osborne, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue.
After not getting on the show that year, Anthony re-auditioned in 2017 which won him three yeses from the judges but he left after a drug scandal.
He then got brought back for another chance on the show in 2018 and was mentored by Louis Tomlinson where he finished third in the show overall.
Although he wasn’t an X Factor judge at the time, One Direction singer Louis heard about Anthony’s addiction and reached out to him to help him get clean.
The 27-year-old star paid for the aspiring singer to go to rehab, and was left in tears when Anthony returned to audition for show.
Throughout the series, Anthony heaped praise on his mentor – repeatedly thanking him for helping him the year before.
