Simon Cowell labeled me as the ‘most irritating X Factor performer of all time’ and it negatively impacted my romantic relationships – his surprising revelation deeply affected me.

LINING up to audition for The X Factor, Sean Smith dreamed adoring and screaming girls would soon fall at his feet, just like his idol Robbie Williams.

But within hours, the Portsmouth performer would be named among “the most annoying people I’ve ever met” by Simon Cowell – and would have his love life ruined.

Sean, 39, was one half of cheesy pop duo Same Difference, alongside sister Sarah.

They reached the finals of The X Factor in 2007 and sold half a million records before splitting 10 years ago.

His life “changed overnight” but not in a way he’d expected – because instead of girls screaming his name and lusting for him, he was seen as the “asexual” brother of star Sarah.

“I went in thinking I would be the next Robbie Williams and came out the next H from Steps, it wasn’t what I was looking for,” Sean, 39, tells us in an exclusive interview.

“I’m not trying to put H down but it wasn’t where I hoped to be headed, I dreamed of being the frontman at Knebworth with girls screaming my name.

“Robbie had adoring fans and all the girls throwing themselves at him, I wanted to be like that – when you’re a young, single guy that’s one of your main objectives.

“But in Same Difference, I came across as asexual and ‘the protective brother’. My friends got more girls than I did because of their association with me.”

“I’d never had a problem with ladies before The X Factor.” 

The siblings were picked out from around 250,000 people who came to audition for The X Factor – which was one of ITV’s biggest shows at the time.

Sean says the show’s producers started interviewing Sean’s glamorous sister Sarah – despite her being there for “emotional support” and not to audition.

He says: “I was thinking, ‘Why are they filming her, not me? I’m auditioning today’ but all of the cameras gravitated toward her. 

“Something must have clicked with the producers, ‘This is a family affair and will make good TV.’

“The next minute, to the dismay of thousands of others, they took us straight to the front of the queue. Everyone was tutting but we were delighted, thinking, ‘This is our chance.’

“Years earlier, I tried out for Popstars: The Rivals and the same thing happened to The Cheeky Girls. So I know they thought highly of us and we would get a lot of good air time.” 

‘Atrocious’ audition

Sarah and Sean were initially asked to audition separately for producers – before going in front of the judges – and while neither of them got through, all wasn’t lost.

The pair were then asked to audition together.

“We hadn’t rehearsed anything and annihilated the song – I’m glad that wasn’t shown on TV,” he says.

“We sang Bryan Adams and Mel C’s When You’re Gone atrociously. It was awful but I don’t think they were worried about that, it was the fact we were a brother and sister.

“For the real audition, we quickly rehearsed the Friends’ theme song – I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrandts – because it was the biggest show on TV. We thought we’d be the next Ross and Monica Geller.

“But to our dismay, it didn’t go as we hoped. Simon said we were two of the most annoying people he had ever met and told us to go and watch some depressing news. It wasn’t the best moment of our lives.

“Simon also told us we needed to stop screaming in each other’s faces. We were on so much adrenaline because we thought it was our big chance and came across as absolutely insane.”

‘Mr Nasty’ tactic

Despite the bumpy start, Same Difference got through to the next round and the X Factor’s biggest bubblegum pop group was born.

Simon had labelled them “most annoying”, mocked their “crazy faces”, said they looked “insane” and that he “pitied” their parents in that first audition.

Despite progressing through the competition, the digs didn’t stop but all wasn’t as it seemed – in fact, Sean says the insults were a blessing in disguise.

He explains: “I didn’t take the insults personally. It kind of felt like it was a bit of a pantomime. Especially because off-camera, Simon was such a lovely guy

“I remember him once telling me backstage, ‘Look don’t take anything to heart, I’m not really being that nasty. Sometimes, when I say nasty comments, it actually does you a favour because the audience thinks you’re in trouble and they vote.’ 

“He told me it was the acts in the middle, who don’t get good or bad comments, that end up going out.”

While Same Difference was able to “roll with the punches” when it came to Simon’s “nasty comments”, it was vocal pointers that stung, as Sean feared it would make the public doubt their singing ability.

Sean said: “It felt like Simon had a vendetta against us and there was nothing we could do about it, but it was harder when Danni Minogue was giving us vocal notes.

“That hurt more than the general nasty ones, as we knew we were a Marmite – love it or hate it – act but her saying we had issues with our vocal ability would have stuck with viewers.

“When I listened back to us we sounded in tune but always did what we were told. We were just young kids with a dream, rolling with the punches and trying to make it happen. 

“In some ways, knowing we were the Marmite act, I think we should have just gone full Jedward because they made a lot more money than us!”

Controversial loss

Same Difference lost out in the final, which Sean admitted was “the best and worst day of my life”, and he suspects a football reference may have cost them the win.

They placed third behind Welsh opera singer Rhydian Roberts and winner Scottish crooner Leon Jackson, who went on to have the best-selling single from a British Male artist in 2007.

Sean adds: “England had been losing in the football, we didn’t qualify for Euro 2008 so everyone was feeling terrible. Then X Factor made it an England vs Scotland vs Wales thing, which went against us too. 

“Simon said this quote about it being one-nil to Same Difference after we sang but I think that led people to rally against us and back the other acts.” 

It felt like Syco either considered you a complete smash hit or bust and he pulled no punches in delivering the hammer blow. 

Sean Smith

The duo was thrilled to have reached the final but Sean says their “dreams were dashed” after losing and it “felt like a big kick in the stomach”.

They feared going back to their ordinary lives but something miraculous and life-changing happened, Simon’s record label Syco Music surprisingly signed them. 

“When you go on the show, you have to sign a contract, which says that they have first dibs to sign you up,” Sean says. 

“The annoying thing was there were rumours Disney wanted us. We did some High School The Musical songs on the show and there was talk of a Disney compilation album with us leading it. 

“I think that’s possibly what encouraged Simon Cowell to take up the option to sign us, maybe he thought, ‘If Disney sees something, there may be something here’. 

“They then tried to do an S Club 7-style kids TV show with us but it didn’t get off the ground. They said it was cheaper to make a kids’ cooking show than commit to a series like that.” 

Same Difference spent the next year in the recording studio putting together their debut album Pop, which went Gold “very quickly” after selling half a million units. 

Outsold The Saturdays

In 2008, they returned to X Factor to perform breakout single We R One around Christmas time but months later, after waiting for news about the second single, they were dropped.

“It was hugely disappointing,” Sean recalls. “We went from being signed to one of the biggest labels in the world to all of a sudden being unable to make a call to Simon Cowell and having to go through his PR team.

“It was a real shock because at the time we had all of the sales for every week and we sold in a week what The Saturdays did in six months – yet they still got their second album and were pushed out much more than us. 

“It felt like Syco either considered you a complete smash hit or bust and he pulled no punches in delivering the hammer blow. 

“But at the end of the day, he’s a businessman and we hold no grudges because we were lucky to have the career we did.”

Despite being let go, Same Difference continued to perform gigs around the country and released two more albums before splitting up on Christmas Eve, in 2014.

There was constant fear and apprehension because you never know what the crowd was going to be like

Sean Smith

Sean says several factors contributed to the break-up including him wanting to go solo, the stress of touring and Sarah’s plans to open a performing arts centres and start a family.

“There was such a strain on us, we had lived out of each other’s pockets for so many years and were so tired by that point. We were fighting all the time and there was a bit of self-sabotage,” he explains.

“Sometimes we were doing three or four gigs in a day, all in different parts of the country. It’s great money but you’re absolutely shattered and can’t get a good night’s sleep.

“You’re sleeping at random places at random times in random hotels. One night we had a gig at 3am in a nightclub and we were sat outside in the tour car just waiting to start.

“We were getting delirious as we tried to keep each other’s spirits up and we used to argue like cat and dog, as we always have done, so it was difficult.   

“You’re going out to perform to people who are drunk at 3am. They didn’t always want to see a cheesy pop group, they were thinking about who they were going home with. 

“With those gigs, there was constant fear and apprehension because you never know what the crowd was going to be like.”

For Sean, being in Same Difference put a dampener on his sex life too.

While promoting the pantomime Sleeping Beauty at Manchester’s Middleton Arena, Sean, tells us his love life tanked as girls were put off by his screen image.

“It didn’t help that I was with my sister all of the time, so I wasn’t going to crack on with someone in front of her,” he adds.

“The way I was perceived wasn’t who I was and it was frustrating that I couldn’t be myself but it gave us a great eight-year career and a bit of fame that I’m still living off now in Pantomimes.”

New beginnings

Since the split, Sean has enjoyed success in the theatres regularly performing in musicals, including Queen’s We Will Rock You alongside Anita Dobson, touring on cruise ships and pursuing his solo career.

He’s also starred in many Pantomimes – currently, he’s playing the Prince in Sleeping Beauty at the Middleton Arena, in Manchester, until December 30, which he says is “absolutely brilliant”.   

Sean’s love for Pantos started at a young age, with him recalling performances alongside ITV presenter Stephen Mulhern and Hunter from the TV show Gladiators when he was seven years old. 

Away from fame, he recently got married. Sean says it was “love at first sight” with Lyuda Lakovenko, whom he tied the knot with in December 2023 within a year of meeting on the dating app Bumble. 

Sean hopes to someday have children after the couple sadly suffered two miscarriages, which he says was “hard to deal with” and they live in “hope” of becoming parents.

Meanwhile, Sarah bought a church, which she converted into a performing arts centre SD Studios – named after Same Difference – and is a mum to three boys.

Reflecting on their incredible career, Sean says: “I couldn’t be happier really. I’ve been blessed because I do what I love and always dreamed of when I was growing up. 

“I never thought I’d be able to make ends meet from this but I can honestly say I do. I feel like this is my calling and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.”

Same Difference star Sean Smith plays the Prince in Sleeping Beauty at Manchester’s Middleton Arena from now until December 30. Get your tickets here

I remember him once telling me backstage… ‘Sometimes, when I say nasty comments, it actually does you a favour because the audience thinks you’re in trouble and they vote.’ 

Sean Smith

“I