The minister appeared on Simon Cowell’s reality show in 2012.

By David Craig

Published: Friday, 17 September 2021 at 12:00 am


Singer and minister Freddie Combs has died aged 49 from a “brief illness”, it was announced today.

He rose to fame after his appearance on the second season of The X Factor USA, which aired in 2012, wowing the judges with an audition in which he sung Bette Midler’s Wind Beneath My Wings.

Previously, he had appeared on a TLC programme called Ton of Love, which followed him and his wife as they strived to get Combs’ weight down to a healthy level.

TMZ reports that the cause of death was kidney failure, with Combs suffering a number of health problems over the years.

More to follow…