X Factor winner Joe McElderry reveals shock as live animal thrown at him on stage

A former X Factorwinner was left stunned after a concert goer launched a live animal at him on stage. Joe McElderry, who was crowned the winner of the ITV talent show in 2009 - beating Olly Murs to the title - has revealed the surprise moment a goldfish was thrown at him during a festival performance.

The 34-year-old singer is currently on a short tour in his native north east before panto season and revealed the bizarre moment that happened in Ireland. Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Joe said he thought it was a football at first.

"Years ago, I was doing a concert in Ireland," Joe told us. "And it was a big outdoor festival, and I thought somebody threw a football, like, at the stage, because this big kind of football looking thing came flying over and landed next to the other side of the stage where I was.

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"It was actually somebody had won a goldfish and decided to throw the goldfish in a bag at the stage. And it was just a goldfish in a bag on the stage. The poor thing did manage to survive it, but I think one of the security team or something took it home to try to look after it."

It was certainly a moment he would have never expected after being crowned the X Factor winner 16 years ago. But, while his journey has seen a number of ups and downs, Joe is continuing to enjoy every moment. He admits that throughout it all he has continued to follow the key advice George Michael gave him as a 19-year-old ready to cut his teeth in the industry.

He said the Careless Whisper singer told him to "just focus on being a brilliant singer and performer". Joe went on: "He said 'everything else is noise, the record label, the many positive comments, the negative comments'. He was like, 'focus on being brilliant, and you'll never go wrong. If you try and focus on the other things, that's where I kind of made my mistake. Just focus and listen'."

And it's that advice that he once again takes on his tour with him. He has promised fans a show to remember as he mixes his eclectic range of tunes from the past with new numbers and some audience participation.

He admitted it is a very short tour by his normal standards, claiming he wasn't planning a tour but got "itchy feet" earlier in the year. Speaking of what to expect, Joe said: "It's got the cover favourites that I've done on albums, but there's also new stuff that I've never performed, as well as in new material and also new covers. So it's a real mixture of everything.

"It kind of taps on a lot of the genres of music I've touched over the kind of span of 15 years, which is pop, the classical crossover bit of musical theatre. So I suppose there is, I know it sounds cliche to say, but there is something there for everyone.

"But it's a real fun night and it's lovely to be back. I hadn't done my own concert for over a year since last year's tour, so it's amazing to be back."

As well as his tour, Joe is continuing his popular podcast titled That's Ridiculous with his 91-year-old grandma, something he admits he is grateful to be able to be a part of.

"You know what she she's had an extraordinary life," he said. "[She's had] a lot of heartache in her life. And she grew up in the war. She lost her parents really young. And like she breaks down the stupid things that we talk about now and she just has such a way and a wisdom about breaking it all down.

"She has such love and humour and it's really endearing, you know, and it's lovely for me. I sometimes think there's a lot of conversations about people feeling like they don't have that connection with the older generation, and it's like, a perfect amalgamation and just seeing the comments that people leave online about her and stuff is lovely. She deserves it."

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