McElderry is an accomplished songwriter and has worked with many highly respected artists such as Marcella Detroit and Ludovico Eunialdi. To date he has released four top 20 albums-two of which reached the UK top three. He was the first X Factor contestant to release a fourth album. As of 2014, McElderry has sold over 2 million records worldwide. On July 30, 2010, McElderry announced on his official website that he is gay. The gay charity Stonewall has listed McElderry as a gay role model. As a regional ambassador for the Teenage Cancer Trust, he completed the challenging 140-mile, 3-day bike ride coast to coast with friends and family in 2014. Joe McElderry is slated for a 60-date tour throughout 2014.
