“The X Factor” (UK series) contestant Jake Sims is “mortified” after his underage nude selfie has surfaced online. The 19-year-old, who is part of the eight-member boyband Stereo Kicks, was reportedly still a minor when he took a photo of himself naked.

According to the Mirror, Sims shot and tweeted his naked image in 2012 when he was under 18 years old. He deleted it after, but as he has learnt, nothing on the Internet can be permanently deleted.

“here’s my nude, lol. Yolo x x ((sorry if you see this mum),” he wrote on Twitter.

There have been talks about the selfie’s existence since the young crooner appeared on the UK reality show, but it was just recently that he was sent blackmail tweets.

“if you don’t follow me I’ll leak ur nudes – k,” (sic) one account posted on the social networking site.

“Jake posted the picture several years ago and deleted it shortly afterwards,” an insider from the “X Factor” told the paper. “He is mortified that this has now come to light – he is totally committed to making a success of the Stereo Kicks and doesn’t want anything to distract from that.”

Sims originally auditioned as a solo artist, but the judges – Simon Cowell, Mel B, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Louis Walsh – thought that he had potential to be included in a group. He and the other seven boys, who also auditioned as solo artists, were almost eliminated on Saturday after they were thrust in the bottom three along with Stephanie Nala and Chloe Jasmine.

Fortunately for the boys, they were declared safe, and Chloe was sent home.

Meanwhile, their fellow contestant Stevi Ritchie reportedly almost didn’t make it to Saturday’s show after disappearing with one of the dancers backstage.

The Sun reported that the producers panicked when they couldn’t find the 34-year-old call centre worker, who was due to perform in minutes.

“Some of the team rushed to find him while senior staff considered getting someone else on, which would’ve been a nightmare to arrange,” a source said. “Just as they were about to give up, they found him getting cosy with one of the dancers.”