X Factor star Sam Bailey was mobbed by fans while taking her children shopping at Fosse Park.
The 36-year-old, of Leicester Forest East, took a break from rehearsals on Thursday to spend time with her family.
She told the Mercury that during her shopping trip, people kept coming and asking for her autograph.
She said: "I wanted to treat the kids, give them a break. It was interesting, I was mobbed, slightly.
"I'm so overwhelmed by it all – usually, I would be the one running up to people asking them for their autograph."
Sam surprised her two kids, Brooke, eight, and Tommy, four, on Wednesday night.
"They didn't know I was coming," she said. "We made cakes on Wednesday night – jam tart Wednesday."
The trip home has made Sam realise that, for once, she is not prepared for Christmas.
"I'm normally sorted by now, but this year I've not even started shopping – it worries me."
On Thursday afternoon, Sam travelled back to the X Factor house in London, with her family, which, she said, gave the children a chance to meet some of the other contestants.
"Brooke was doing cartwheels in the garden – she kept on saying how big it was."
On Saturday night, Sam will be singing Something, by The Beatles, for this weekend's Great British Songbook theme.
"It's going to be a different one for me this week. I'm confident, it's a beautiful song but it's not one I'm familiar with – I've had to learn it from scratch.
"It's so tight now, you just can't call it – I have no idea who is going out each week."
To add to the pressure this weekend, Sam has invited a few famous faces along to the Sunday's show.
Former Leicester City players Steve Walsh, Alan Young and Matt Elliot will be in the audience supporting Sam when this week's results are revealed. Steve said: "I'm really looking forward to it, it will be nice to give her our support.
"The contestants are going down and the weeks are going down – in football terms, you're only as good as your last game.
"She's a fantastic singer, but we'll all be a bit nervous for her.
"She smashed it last week and, hopefully, she'll smash it again this week – and in front of us, that will be even better."
Sam said: "I'm so grateful for their support. It is so surreal, I can't even begin to tell you how surreal this all is.
"I look through my phonebook and I see all of these famous people in it, it's crazy."
Watch Sam perform tonight and tomorrow, at 8pm, on ITV.
