Oh gosh... I don't normally watch the X-Factor, but dh insisted I watch the performance on-line of one of the contestants last night -- and I just had to share!

Freddie Combs was wheeled onto the stage by his wife and the looks the audience exchanged were ones of shock. When he shared that he used to weigh 920 pounds, that he almost died in 2009 and has since lost nearly 400 pounds, the crowd was really eager to hear him sing... and boy, did he [2]!

I loved that Simon offered him a challenge... "When I heard you sing, I had a vision in my mind of you standing while singing that song--healthy, happy," Simon said. "Maybe you need some inspiration. I don't think you deserve to be stuck in that chair. We have to make a deal with each other: I'll back you, if you back yourself." L.A. offered Freddie an additional incentive, telling him, "Simon challenged you to stand. And if you stand, I'll stand right by you."
http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/reality-rocks/540-pound-singer-eddie-combs-vows-healthy-x-011219433.html [3]