Yesterday, Mr McCaw announced his success, although organisers of the event being filmed for showing on TV 3 in a few months said he should not have done so.
X Factor publicist Chris Henry said contestants signed a non-disclosure contract, which forbade them making public announcements about results, but accepted Mr McCaw was ''really excited'' and let the matter go.
However, Mr Henry could not give the names of other Otago and Southland contestants who had been successful in recent home-town auditions, or numbers because decisions were still being made on live auditions. Mr McCaw started performing eight years ago at the Totara Estate Harvest Home festival with a group of others as swaggers. That piqued his interest in entertaining, and he expanded the initial acting role to include singing by performing Irish ballads.
He will perform two ballads at the live auditions before the X Factor's four judges - Daniel Bedingfield, Stan Walker, Melanie Blatt and Ruby Frost - in Auckland, on one of six days set aside from February 26 to March 3.
He will not be in his swagger costume, but has selected a ''cabaret look''.
Mr Henry said it had not been decided how many people would compete in the six days of live auditions, but from that number 60 would be selected for a ''boot camp'', where they would be reduced to 30 and then to 12 contestants for the finals.
Footage from the live auditions will be shown as part of the series.
