SINGING superstar Jahmene Douglas was overwhelmed by the reaction he received on his homecoming as he stepped out of the X Factor bubble.

Jahmene had a busy day visiting four locations in the town to drum up support ahead of the X Factor final this weekend.

He said: “Today has been a realisation of what I’ve been doing, because I’ve been in a little bubble.

“I’ve been inside cabs and inside hotels.

“But today I stepped outside into the real world and it’s been crazy. Meeting my old work colleagues was amazing as well.”

This was the first time he had been back in Swindon since he made it through to the judges houses stage of the competition two months ago.

Jahmene, who suffered years of domestic abuse by a violent father, said: “I think, I’ve been away from Swindon for so long, to come back and see the streets filled with people who know how to pronounce my name is just insane.

“Just screaming, like every time you make a movement towards them it’s just screaming, it’s just love.

“You get that energy and it fills you up, almost like church does for me. That’s why I sing, because I’m giving, and I want to give back.

“Singing at church was extremely important for me, because I’ve been away from church for quite a while, and it’s my therapy.

“I’ve been doing a lot of counselling and stuff through my life, but nothing does it like church.

“So to be away from it I felt a little lost so to go back there today and see my choir sing for me and welcome me back, I was just like ‘wow!’ “I have had to grow up really fast but in ways I’m grateful for it because I can teach the people around me.

“For me music was my sanctuary, music was that thing that kept me going on because music has that strength.

“It fills you back up, when you're feeling down, so I just want to sing songs for people.”

Jahmene finished his visit by helping to turn the Christmas lights on in Wharf Green in front of a crowd of around 28,000 people, before calling it a night and hoping that the cold weather had not given him pneumonia.