RACHEL Adedeji managed to survive the gladiatorial arena that is the EX factor, making it through to the live finals back in 2008.

But that’s hardly a challenge compared to playing the wife of the son of God.

“I’ve since gone on to appear in the Michael Jackson musical, Thriller Live,” she says the East Londoner smiling, “but this role is a whole different challenge.”

Indeed, playing Mary Magdalene in the touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar does call for a distinctive performance.

“It’s a wonderful show,” she says of the 1971, rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

“But it calls for some real acting. And discovering how to be Mary.

“I studied the film several times (starring Yvonne Elliman) and I went to see Mel C. appear on stage as Mary.

“What I felt the performances had in common was that Mary had a real calm about her.”

Rachel grins as she admits that in rehearsals her calm gave way to the tornado in her, and the big booming voice would win out.

“The director had to say to me to hold it back a bit. And I was being a little too powerful.

“And that’s great in some songs, but in others it’s nice to be a bit floaty. You need something of a contrast to Jesus and Judas belting out the big rock songs.”

Theatre producers are continually turning to reality TV contestants.

Has she sensed resentment in the business from those who are musical theatre trained?

“I think there probably is some resentment. When I began a few people did say myself and Rhydian (Pontius Pilate) had been really lucky to land the parts on the back of the X Factor.

“But after a while the same people came to me and said, ‘You know what? We take it back. You’re here on merit.’

“And it’s true. It was the talent that took us there. Producers don’t put you on a stage unless they think you can do it.”

Rachel grew up ‘mad keen’ to be a performer.

“My parents put my sister and me into stage school. They saw something in us that wanted to sing and perform.”

But isn’t that a little non-Nigerian? Don’t Nigerian immigrants all too often expect their offspring to enter more ‘serious’ careers, in Law or Medicine.

“Definitely. The parents want the kids to be academics. And sometimes my dad will say ‘Rachel, why don’t you go to university and become a doctor?’

“But they have been supportive.”

And now they’ve suffered from sending you to stage school?

“Exactly,” she says, laughing. “They’ve created monsters! But at least they’re happy with the fact we’re happy in our chosen lives.”

Rachel’s family moved from Canning Town to Essex ‘for the peace and quiet’ when she was a teenager. But teen life was far from straightforward.

“It was hard,” she recalls. “I went from a multicultural school to a secondary in which I was the only black girl.

“I felt an outcast to begin with, but I had to educate people to realise I was the same as everybody else. And I got there in the end.”

Rachel was married in August to photographer Jason Finnegan. The couple still haven’t had a chance to honeymoon.

“I met him before the X Factor and we get on great,” she delights. “In fact, he’s a photographer but he wants to look after my career.”

She adds, grinning; “And he doesn’t want twenty per cent for doing it.”

Could she ever have imagined that as a kid at school she would wind up playing the wife of Jesus in a Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber New Testament epic?

“Not at all. And at first when I went on stage I felt it all a bit surreal. I couldn’t believe I was in this hit show playing such an iconic role.”

She adds, grinning; “But then when you do eight shows a week you can tend to go on auto pilot and go home and it doesn’t sink in.

“All you’re really thinking about is the one day off a week when you get the chance to rest.”

But her mum doesn’t let her take anything for granted.

“My mum prays every day. We pray at home. And I think it’s helped to get us through some difficult moments in our lives.”

If Rachel lands her next job, her mum may have to pray a little harder. While Jesus Christ Superstar reinforces Christianity, Rachel reveals she has been auditioning for the west end hit, The Book of Mormon.

“It’s a show that mock religion,” she says, smiling.

“My mum gets it though. She says ‘Just don’t let your stage performance affect your personal relationship with God.”

*Jesus Christ Superstar, the King’s Theatre, until Saturday.