Gabriella Michelle "Ella" Henderson (born 12 January 1996) is a British singer-songwriter. She was a finalist on the ninth series of The X Factor in 2012 and finished in sixth place, despite being a strong favourite to win. She was subsequently signed to Syco Music.
Her debut single "Ghost", co-written with Ryan Tedder, was released on 8 June 2014. It will be followed in the Autumn by her debut album Chapter One.
Ella Henderson was born and raised in Tetney, near Grimsby, to parents Sean and Michelle. She has two brothers called Patrick and Fraser and a sister called Holly. She developed a keen interest in fashion in her youth, notably vintage fashion, which she retains.
Henderson began singing at the age of three and taught herself to play the piano a few years later. She began to put on shows for her family at Christmas and developed a special bond with her grandfather Bill, who encouraged her to pursue her love of music and songwriting. Her interest developed further at primary school, St Martin’s Preparatory School in Grimsby, and she subsequently decided to audition for a scholarship place at Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire. She succeeded in gaining a scholarship and boarded at the school from the age of 11 to 16. She attended the school at the same time as Dan Ferrari-Lane of boy band District3, who was on The X Factor with Henderson in 2012.
In early 2012, Henderson made a singing appearance on a celebrity Christmas special of Channel 4's Come Dine with Me, where she performed "All I Want for Christmas Is You". She was a guest of Bianca Gascoigne, who is a family friend and also auditioned for The X Factor in 2012. The episode was filmed before Henderson's X Factor appearance.