WATCH: Hamish Bowles Sang Britney Spears To Audition For X Factor

by Julia Rubin | 4:49 pm, October 11th, 2011

We read all about Hamish Bowles‘s X Factor audition in this month’s Vogue, but nothing beats watching it unfold before your very eyes.

The video below is a must-see as it involves Bowles as hairdresser Leo Mercuré, dressed in Mugler pants and jacket, spiky gold Louboutin smoking shoes, a polka dot fedora, and a pearl necklace. Oh, and he sings Britney Spears‘s “Baby One More Time”. And he has Zorro mask eye makeup. It’s MAGICAL. But also, worst job assignment of all time. The crowd he performs for is ginormous! Jeez!

We have a lot of respect for Bowles who doesn’t break character in front of the judges (who don’t appear to know who he is). Even though he doesn’t get selected, they do dig his style. “I love your whole swagger, Leo. You’re fly, man, you’re fly,” says LA Reid. Paula Abdul concurs: “You’re an exquisite odd bird. You really are — I would love to hang out with you.”

Yeah, you have to watch this:

[Vogue]

Britney Spears hamish bowles Hamish Bowles singing LA Reid Paula Abdul Simon Cowell The X Factor Vogue