London, Sept 07: An X Factor participant moved the show’s judges, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, to tears when he performed ‘Sometimes When We Touch’ in honour of his late wife.

Daniel Evans, 38, who had been inspired by his late wife, Jacqueline, to enter the TV contest, revealed that she had passed away just six days after giving birth to their first child.

“Jacqueline had always been my biggest fan and often said, ‘You should enter X Factor’—but it was never the right time,” he was quoted as saying.

“After she died I found some peace and pleasure in singing. I decided to go for it because if the last year has taught me anything it’s that you should live life to the full,” he said.

Evans went on to tell how they had met in 1997 on a blind date, and had married six years later then moved from East London to Spain, where his mum was living.

He was helping run a karaoke business when at the end of 2006 Jacqueline fell pregnant.

“It was the happiest time of my life,” he revealed.

But Jacqueline, 39, developed diabetes and high blood pressure, and had an emergency Caesarean section in August last year. She gave birth to their daughter Ana-Marie in a hospital on the Costa Brava.

A few hours later she developed breathing problems and other complications and was rushed to the operating theatre for a hysterectomy.

But during surgery her body went into shock and she slipped into a coma. She was put on a life-support machine and flown to a bigger hospital in Barcelona. Daniel followed by car but had to leave his newborn daughter behind.

Five days after giving birth Jacqueline’s lungs failed. She died the next day—soon after her dad Richard and stepmum Mary arrived from England.

“I don’t remember much of this time. It’s all a blur. But the hospital staff where Ana-Marie was were amazing. They said they’d look after her until I was ready to come back,” he stated.

He returned the day after his wife died, and caring for their baby was the only thing that kept him going.

“I went to my mum’s, and she advised me to let Ana-Marie sleep through the night to get her into a routine,” he said.

“But some nights I couldn’t help but wake her and hold her because it blocked out some of the pain,” he added.

Afterwards Cheryl said: “It felt like he was singing that to his wife.”

ANI