The extended cut from the UK show includes never-before-seen footage!
For the first time, Harry Styles' biggest fans -- and, if it's possible, his biggest haters -- finally got to see his full X Factor UK audition, and it's a delight.
The video, which has already surpassed more than one million views on YouTube, shows a then-16-year-old Styles checking in to the 2010 audition with his family in tow. There's a pre-audition interview in which Styles talks about his hometown and, at that point, the extent of his career in music.
Before heading to the audition stage to face the three judges -- Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh -- and the boisterous crowd, Styles' family bombards him with "good luck" kisses before sending him off. Cowell then proceeds to ask Styles a bit about himself, and the future One Direction singer reveals he works at a bakery. The singer wins over the crowd almost instantly with his sense of humor and charming demeanor.
Styles mentions what he wants to study in college (law, sociology, business) before explaining why he's at the audition.
"Well, I've always wanted to audition but I've always been too young," he explains. "So, I thought I'd give it a whirl this time."
Cowell then asks him why he's always wanted to audition.
"Because my mum's always told me I'm a good singer and so have my friends," says Styles, prompting Cowell to say mom's don't always know.
"Yeah, that's what I mean," Styles says. "So I wanted to come and ask from the people who know."
Styles then proceeds with his audition song, Train's "Hey, Soul Sister," but Cowell seems unconvinced. Cowell gives Styles a second chance, asking Styles to sing a capella. Styles belts out Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely."
When it's time for the judges to weigh in, Walsh gives Styles a hard pass. But the Pussycat Dolls singer compliments Styles' "beautiful voice" and gives him a go, before Cowell echoes the sentiment and advances him past the audition.
Styles would eventually be eliminated, but he'd return as a member of One Direction.
The rest, as they say, is history.
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