X Factor's Ché Chesterman still has throat infection, wants to sing Smelly Cat from Friends

We were discussing the fact that his song choice this week – Percy Sledge's When A Man Loves A Woman – is straining his already sore throat. “Every time I sing it my throat is absolutely killing me,” he told RadioTimes.com, saying he’s still struggling with an infection, which is "gradually clearing up".

But if a sore throat has taught us Friends fans one thing, it’s that it can actually help add an extra level of sultry gruffness to one’s singing voice. Yes, we’re talking Phoebe Buffay’s ‘sexy phlegm’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3abFIxY8UJg

“It does kind of give me that gruff, gravely sound. So it does kind of help,” Ché laughed, not missing the Friends reference.

“Friends is my number one, ever,” he said, explaining that he and his girlfriend watch the ten season box set in order, before starting all over again, and then again (and then again…).

Joking that should he end up in the sing-off he could use the Phoebe classic as his ‘save me’ song, Ché laughed: “How good would that be? Imagine if we changed it up and changed it into a proper sick song?”

“How could they send me home? How?!” he grinned.

And if he were to get to the final, Ché wants to sing with the lady herself.

“If I get far enough, I’ll sing with Phoebe. [Lisa Kudrow] can be my celebrity guest. How good would that be? We do Smelly Cat – that would win me the show!”

I think it just might.

The X Factor continues Saturday and Sunday at 8:00pm on ITV