X Factor contestant Diana Vickers has opened up about breaking her year of celibacy with a colleague and how she "thrived" when going without sex for an extended period of time11:33, 06 Jul 2026Diana Vickers celebrated one year of celibacy by sleeping with a colleague. The singer, 34,who shot to fame when she competed on the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008, decided to go without sex for an extended period of time after struggling in her dating life.‌Now, the pop star, who enjoyed chart success with tracks like Once and The Boy Who Murdered Love before embarking on a successful theatre career, has revealed more about what happened when she reached the milestone and why she chose a co-worker to help mark the occasion.‌She said: "I went celibate for a year just to see what would happen and I really thrived. I had such a great year with work and got every job I went up for. And then it got to the year mark, which I wanted to reach and I celebrated it by sleeping with someone I worked with.‌Speaking to The Sun, she added: “I was like (mimes pointing): ‘You! You have won the competition.’ And it was great. It was a really lovely experience with a really lovely guy, who I’ve stayed friends with since."Diana, who previously had a four-year relationship with fellow musician George Craig, is currently single and insisted that while she "never feels lonely" because she has so much going on in her life, she would like to settle down with the right person at some point.‌She added: "It would be nice to share that deep connection with someone, to have them absolutely fancying the pants off you and listening to you and laughing and lighting you up."Last year, Diana spoke to our sister publication OK!, where she candidly spoke of how "nervous" she had become with the idea of getting intimate with someone.She said: “I didn’t go on a date this year for about five months, because last year I really put myself out there and had seen a few people, so I gave it a break and recently went on my first date in a while, which was nerve wracking. But at the end of the day, I do really want to meet someone, so you just have to put yourself out there.‌"You’re second-guessing and thinking, ‘Do they like me? Do they like me as much as I like them?’ You’re trying to play it cool, but you want to be open and honest."I always get nervous anyway about that next step and having sex, and particularly now. I’ve been celibate for about eight months, so it’s more overwhelming to think about. Once you get into it, it’s brilliant and fantastic and it’s what it’s all about, but it’s very revealing too."Article continues belowAt the time, Diana had launched the podcast Just Between Us, and explained: "I think being a woman in your 30s, it is difficult to date and it’s confusing. So the podcast is just a nice, safe space to be in where you can listen to people of a similar age and hear similar stories,” she says.“But it is very liberating for me as well, because it means I get to let it out. I do think I’m quite respectful though, when I’m talking about people I’ve dated, and the right person for me will embrace it. This is who I am and I’ve got to a place where I’m very unapologetically myself."Join The Mirror’s WhatsApp Community or follow us on Google News, Flipboard, Apple News, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads - or visit The Mirror homepage.