EIGHT years ago, Marc Higgins was doing very well in a singing competition with his group.

One of the groups that that he and his friends were up against was made up of some much younger lads called Harry, Zayn, Liam, Niall and Louis.

The competition was The X Factor, and the other boys went on to become a global sensation as the hugely successful boyband One Direction, while Marc and his friends eventually went back to their day jobs.

But Marc has been back behind the microphone again in a new group, which could even score a Christmas number one, as part of The Fire Tones, a group of firefighters who have released a charity single in aid of The Fire Fighters' Charity and The Band Aid Charity Trust – a cover of Do They Know it's Christmas?.

Before entering The X Factor, Marc was unemployed, having previously worked as a roofer with his brother-in-law.

But singing had always been his passion.

He entered The X Factor forerunner Pop Stars when he was 18 and went onto reach the final 20, before competing in various singing competitions in Southampton.

During this time he met some other aspiring singers, and they went onto enter The X Factor in 2010 as The Reason, later changing their name to The Reason 4.

They impressed the judges with their version of Cheryl Cole's Fight for this Love, which has since been viewed on YouTube more than 1,500,000 times, and went on to the 'judges' houses' stage, where they were competing against One Direction amongst others, but didn't make it beyond this stage of the competition.

They did, however, get a record deal and were signed by Sony ATV, and spent two years as a gigging band, but it didn't work out and they had to go back to their day jobs.

For Marc, who had previously been unemployed, this meant getting a job delivering cleaning products.

"I remember when the One Direction film came out, saying to the other lads, 'they're making movies, I'm making deliveries'," laughs Marc, now 36, who lives with his wife and daughter in Hamble.

 

One Direction in 2014

Marc says that he doesn't feel bitter about One Direction's success.

"We were a completely different group and although I'm sure we would have been successful if we'd have been picked, we would never have had that kind of success," he says.

"They had the Disney-type appeal of the likes of Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber and it was the right time for a boyband like that, made up of very young lads. We get why Simon chose them and it was obviously a very good move."

Marc went on to pursue a different dream – becoming a firefighter.

"I kept checking the websites to become a local firefighter, but they only have a couple of opening a year and nothing was coming up. Then a friend suggested I joined the Navy," he says.

"I joined so that I could gain the skills and also serve. My duties included firefighting and after I left, after four years, I joined Southampton Airport as a firefighter.

"I'm just reaching the end of my probation year, and I love it. We do a lot of training, as well as maintenance and testing of equipment."

Although Marc loves his new career, there is still a place in his heart for singing and he took part in The X Factor again.

He got through to audition in front of the judges and TV cameras but wasn't picked to go through.

Marc hadn't told any of his family about the audition other than his wife, Sophia, who accompanied him to the filming and was surprised when his segment made it onto TV.

 

The X Factor judges

But he was even more surprised a few days later when he had a call from someone from the Fire Fighters' Charity, inviting him to take part in a charity single that they were recording.

"The second X Factor audition really didn't go so well. but from that came this opportunity," says Marc.

"It's a great group, made up of all active fire fighting personnel and it's for two really good causes.

"Since 2012, I haven't sung a lot. I had a daughter two years ago, Aubrey, and my focus has shifted to being a husband and a father.

"I'd almost left that dream behind, so it was great to get the opportunity to sing again, and I realised I'd really missed it.

"I'd tried to pursue that dream for years, and had put it on the back burner, but that passion was still there and I was really honoured to be asked to sing with The Fire Tones.

"I will definitely sing more in the future again, as a hobby rather than a career. I need to provide for my family.

"But my focus at the moment is that I just want to see this song do really well. It's for two really good causes."

Marc's wish could come true. While Ariane Grande is odds-on favourite to score the Christmas number one, The Fire Tones stand at ten-to-one odds of taking the top spot, sharing odds with Ed Sheeran, The Spice Girls, Queen, Jess Glynne and Little Mix.

 

Marc with his wife, Sophia, and daughter, Aubrey

"I only entered The X Factor this year on a whim and this is such a great thing to come out of it.

"Things come around in the least expected ways."

So, if fame and fortune came beckoning, what would Marc say?

"If something came up, I'd love to do it," he says.

"My passion for music has always been there."

* Do They Know It's Christmas by The Fire Tones will be released on December 1.