FORMER South Craven School student Luke Bayer is playing the lead role in one of London’s hottest musicals.

Luke, who achieved teenage fame as an X Factor contestant, is sharing the title role in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in the West End.

He won the coveted role after rising from amateur musicals as a child and a teenage stint on The X Factor, to becoming a professionally-trained singer and actor.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is based on the true story of Jamie Campbell, a 16-year-old schoolboy on a council estate in Sheffield who, supported by his mum and friends, overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and becomes a drag queen.

Playing Jamie on some nights at the prestigious Apollo Theatre, Luke heads a 24-strong company and an eight-piece band in a show praised by the Financial Times for its “mischief, warmth and exuberance”.

Luke, who has met the real-life Jamie Campbell, recently won a Broadway World Award for his performance in the musical.

Last summer he performed as Jamie on the main stage at the London Pride celebrations.

Luke grew up in Cononley and attended South Craven School in Cross Hills, and as a child took part in many stage productions across West Yorkshire including with Ilkley’s Upstagers, the Glusburn Institute of Performing Arts, and Skipton’s Little SAODS.

In 2007, at the age of 15, he competed in the X Factor – famously weeping during his audition – and reached the live heats.

Luke trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2015 with a BA Honours in Musical Theatre.

He performed in Yank! The Musical at the Hope Mill Theatre, the Les Miserables 20th anniversary concert at the Queens Theatre in London, and as part of The 12 Tenors on their China tour.

He has appeared in concert with Erich Bergen, Shoshana Bean and Scott Alan, and performed vocals for Elaine Paige at the Royal Albert Hall.

He held his first solo concert in September, packing the venue for performances both solo and with West End stars such as Daniel Steers from Back Out of Hell the Musical. He has scheduled future dates for the concert.