Laura Jane Amanda White (born 31 August 1987) is an English singer-songwriter from Atherton in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester. White is known for finishing in eighth place on the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008 and being the only singer to date raised in Parliament on her exit of the show. Her debut single "You Should Have Known" was released in 2009 and reached number 32 on the UK Singles Charts. Her debut extended play What My Mother Taught Me was released four years later in 2013. Her song "New York Raining", performed by Charles Hamilton and Rita Ora was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack. Early life White has been singing and playing the piano since she was a young girl. Despite never having had a professional singing lesson, White began singing in jazz bars at the age of 15 and played many festivals. White went to Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, the same school as actors Anthony Quinlan, Leah Hackett and Oliver Lee. She studied her A-Levels in English Literature and Drama at Wigan and Leigh College, before going on to study creative writing at The University of Bolton. Music career 2008–09: The X Factor White auditioned for the 2008 series of The X Factor and reached the final live stages in the "Girls" category, mentored by Cheryl Cole. After performing Fallin', by Alicia Keys, on the first live show, White sang You Are Not Alone as part of Michael Jackson week the following episode. She then performed God Bless the Child, originally recorded by Billie Holiday, as part of the third week's focus on big band music, and Somebody Else's Guy, written and performed by Jocelyn Brown, on the fourth live show as part of disco week. After performing Endless Love by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross in the fifth week, White was voted off the show on 8 November, after a sing-off against Ruth Lorenzo. After her elimination, fans of White circulated a petition for broadcasting watchdog Ofcom to investigate phone voting procedures on the show, complaining of a lack of transparency in the voting system and of difficulties in getting through to vote for White–allegations which were denied by a show spokesman. The issue was even mentioned in the Houses of Parliament by her local MP Andy Burnham, who commented that White's exit had been "very