Her 1989 track "Reach Out" with Sweet Mercy has been sampled by Steve Angello, Laidback Luke, Todd Terry, and the Black Eyed Peas.

Rowetta was born to an English mother of Jewish origin and a Nigerian father, politician George Idah, who left the family when she was three.

The track has been sampled by many, including Laidback Luke, Slam, Steve Angello and Todd Terry, and was remixed and re-released in 2008.

After the break-up of the Happy Mondays, she did not return to the music business immediately, although she did play herself in the Michael Winterbottom film 24 Hour Party People, which depicted the band's most successful years.

After impressing the judges with her rendition of "Lady Marmalade", she was placed in the over-25 category, which was mentored by Simon Cowell, who described her as "Amazing, but barking bloody mad".

[4] Her soulful, powerful voice proved to be a hit with audiences, although she was criticised for competing as an established singer against amateurs.

[3] Her performances on the show earned her rave reviews and she made the quarter-final and was the last woman in the competition, never having to compete in a sing-off.

According to a 2008 BBC 6 Music interview with Peter Hook, Rowetta recorded vocals for a track on the debut album by his new band Freebass.

[9] A new version of "Reach Out" featuring Rowetta and mixed by Mobin Master spent Christmas 2008 and the first part of 2009 at number one on the Beatport charts.

During her time on The X Factor, it was revealed that Rowetta had been a victim of domestic violence in the hands of her ex-husband Noel Satchell, whom she had married at the age of eighteen.