Sam Bailey: 'Harry Styles Would Be Great X Factor Mentor'

X Factor favourite Sam Bailey reckons Harry Styles would be a perfect mentor on the show.

!The 36-year-old prison officer met up with Harry backstage when One Direction performed ‘Story of My Life’ on the X Factor results show on Sunday night (24th November).

Full of self-doubt and a complete bag of nerves ahead of the results, Sam says that it was Harry who helped her to calm down.

Sam told OK! Magazine: "I was having a fat day and thinking I was going home and Harry found me upset in the corridor, put his arm around me and said, 'Come with me.'

“He was really sweet, hugged me and said, 'Sam Bailey, I want to see you go out there and smash it.' He'd make a good mentor in a few years."

Sam is currently the favourite to win The X Factor ahead of Nicholas McDonald, Tamera Foster, Rough Copy and Luke Friend.

Despite only coming third on the 2010 series of The X Factor behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson, 1D have gone on to become the biggest success story from the show.

Their third album ‘Midnight Memories’ is heading straight for number one this weekend and will be the fastest selling record of 2014.

Photo: Nicky Johnston/Thames/Syco