A relative of X Factor's Cher Lloyd has revelaed how she overcame a life of hardship as a traveller to now be singing in front of millions. In an interview with The Mirror, Cher's uncle, Jessy Smith, revelead that Cher was taken to live on the road as a traveller with her parents, Diane and Darren, when she was just four months old. "They had very little. It was a hard, dangerous life. "Cher must be one in a million. You never see a traveller doing well on TV, let alone become a pop star. "From the age of two all she wanted to do was sing. Now she's just the same as any other teenager." Cher's Romany roots stem from her maternal grandmother Liz whose family had lived that lifestyle for generations. After being born in a wagon, Liz raised her eight children in the age-old tradition, but was forced to accept council accommodaiton when she had Cher's mum, Diane. Diane settled in Malvern Worcestershire where she met Darren and gave birth to Cher at 19. Jessy added: "It was hard for them [Diane and Darren]. They had very little money and travellers were not accepted. "After nearly a year on the road, Cher and her parents moved back in with gran Liz. They later got a two-bedroom flat in Malvern. "I wouldn't call Cher a Romany because she hasn't spent all her life in a caravan. But she knows where she's from and accepts it. At times she's had to put up with kids calling her 'gypo' and 'pikey'. "This sort of success just doesn't happy to traveller families. If Cher wins I reckon I know the first thing she will do - buy her mum and dad a house of their own." Watch Cher's Halloween X Factor performance of the Shakespear's Sister hit Stay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xqIdFU0TRg&fs=1&hl=en_GB
