With a number one debut album under her belt and her first UK tour kicking off this month, 19-year-old Ella Henderson's time on the X Factor seems like a lifetime ago.

A contestant back in 2012, the then 16-year-old from Lincolnshire made it into the final 12 where she finished in sixth place despite being a strong favourite to win.

Unlike many others who came before her however, this wasn't the last that the world would hear of Ella Henderson.

Returning two years later, her debut single Ghost topped the charts with album Chapter One soon following suit.

Now speaking to Vibe at the Girlguiding Big Gig, her thoughts turn to the infamously tricky second album.

"I've experienced so much over the last couple of years and so much has happened [that] it's kind of what do I not have to write about. 

"Definitely a mixture of emotions, good ones, worrying ones, but everything all-in-all, I'm just excited to hone in on a sound. I feel like I really established myself with Chapter One so it's even more exciting to come into the next record and really hone in on what worked," she enthuses.

"I've been in the studio a lot with Danny from The Script, he's a lovely, lovely guy. We met at an event and he said he was keen to work with me. Fraser T Smith who did a lot of the production for Adele's 19 and 21. We were recording live strings and vocals for that the other day which was exciting."

The songstress also reveals that Pharrell Williams is a fan that she's keen to team up again with OneRepublic front man and writing supremo Ryan Tedder, who produced and co-wrote Ghost with her.

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Three years have passed since Ella competed on the X Factor, but one thing's for sure, she's glad that the dreaded six chair challenge wasn't around in her day.

"I feel so scared for the people now, it looks terrifying, I do feel for them" she empathises. 

And despite praising new mentors Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora, Ella refuses to be drawn on who she would have liked to have if she was taking part this year.

"I think it's great to see fresh faces on the show, but I wouldn't have changed anything with my year. I'm one of those people who never takes anything back or wants to change things as I believe that everything happens for a reason.”

And it's that kind of attitude that now sees Ella on her first UK headline tour.

"I'm so excited!" she exclaims.

"It's going to be my very first time on a tour bus, so me the boys, my two backing vocalists… I think it's going to be a lot of fun: like a little sister and all of her big brothers."

Sounds like she'll have to be on her guard for pranks then.

"I know! I need to get my pranks up, learn a few from my brothers," chuckles Ella, who has two brothers, plus, a sister.

"I'm really good at making people jump, that's my biggest thing. I love it when people come round to my place and I'll always find a way to make them jump."

Ella Henderson is playing London's O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on November 8 and 9, tickets are available from Ticketmaster.co.uk