Robbie Hance was just 26 years old when he stepped onto the X Factor UK stage. His clothes were worn, his eyes a little tired, and his voice quiet. When he said he was homeless and had been living on the streets of London, you could feel the room shift. The judges sat up. The audience grew quiet. No one knew what to expect.

Robbie had been living rough for nearly six years. He slept wherever he could—under staircases, in empty buildings, or sometimes on a friend’s couch if he was lucky. He didn’t come from much. He was raised by a single mother and was placed in foster care at age 13. Life had been hard, and you could see that in his eyes. But something about him felt honest. Real. Human.

When asked why he was auditioning, Robbie didn’t give a rehearsed answer. He just said he loved music. It kept him going.

He Had a Difficult Life — But Music Was Helping Him

Music had always been there for Robbie. When he was cold, alone, or hungry, he’d sing. It gave him hope. It gave him peace. And now, it was giving him a chance.

Robbie chose to sing “Coconut Skins” by Damien Rice. The moment he opened his mouth, everything changed. His voice was rich, emotional, and full of life. You could feel every word. The audience sat frozen. The judges were shocked. This wasn’t just a good audition—this was something deeper. Something rare.

When the song ended, there was silence… and then a roaring applause. Judge Louis Walsh told him he deserved a break. Tulisa said she could feel the pain in his voice. Even guest judge Rita Ora looked moved to tears.

But behind the scenes, Robbie’s journey was still heavy. After his audition, he struggled with feelings of doubt. He worried people only liked him because of his story, not his voice. He later walked out of the competition during boot camp. It was all too much. The pressure, the cameras, the spotlight—it felt too far from the streets he had come from.

Still, his audition was unforgettable. Millions have watched his performance online, and many still remember him as the homeless man who sang like a star.

Robbie Hance might not have won The X Factor, but for a few minutes on that stage, he showed the world who he really was. A fighter. A dreamer. A man with a gift worth hearing. And maybe, just maybe, someone out there gave him a second chance because of it.

You can watch his emotional audition below: