X Factor runner-up Jai Waetford is still struggling to crack the fame game. Source: News Corp Australia

Two years after leaving the reality singing show in a blaze of glory, Waetford, now 16, is getting no love from radio, and has been forced to promote his music himself.

“It’s so hard to get a 16-year-old on radio,” Waetford told Confidential. “People in the morning aren’t going to want to hear my music unless it’s a hit single.”

Instead, Waetford is posting new music to his YouTube channel because “that’s where my fans are engaged. I’ve decided to pitch it to my fans only and take a different route.”

Is he frustrated by radio’s lack of interest?

“Not really. I’m 16, so I’m not struggling for time,” Waetford replied. “I’ve got heaps of time. I’m still doing what I love.”

Waetford says his new EP, titled Shy, is “a stepping stone”. I don’t want to stay that 14-year-old kid for the rest of my life. I want to make a bridge from that kid on X Factor to who I am now.

He quit school last year after completing Year 10.