A GOLDEN oldie who charmed the nation as an X Factor crooner has released his own CD.

William Hooper, of Imperial Court in Marine Parade, Clacton, appeared on ITV show in 2009, aged 82.

The retired teacher reached the boot camp stage of the competition after flying through his initial audition with a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s Come Fly With Me.

And William has now recorded and released his own festive album, featuring two Christmas songs which he wrote himself.

He said: “When I appeared on X Factor, Simon Cowell asked me where I wanted to be in four years, and I said I wanted to be on top.

“It is now a few years on and I have finally made my own record.

“I have written songs before, but this is the first time I have ever recorded and released them properly.

It was a lot of work, believe me.

“It has been an ambition of mine all my life to make my own record.

That’s the reason I went on X Factor in the first place.

“Now I can say I’ve done it – it is a wonderful feeling.”

William recorded the tracks in August and is now the proud possessor of the finished product.

The CD features the tracks Christmas Here Again and Our Special Christmas.

It is nowon sale at Music Mania, in High Street, Clacton, as well as on a stall in the town’s Covered Market. William says hisXFactor experience gave him the push to finally release the album, aged 86.

He added: “It was a thrill to be on stage in front of everyone.

“X Factor was a marvellous experience.

It is something I will never forget.

“I was in there with some people who were so talented, like Olly Murs.

I knew b a c k then that he would make the big time. It was all incredible.”

All profits from the CD will go to the Essex Air Ambulance.