Hear'say hopefuls rejected on physical appearance

Pop star wannabes have been turned away for a place in Hear'Say - without even singing.

Bosses for the group had already decided on the appearance they wanted for a replacement for Kym Marsh.

Many hopefuls were told they did not have the right image and were denied a vocal audition.

A sign on the gates of the Brixton Rehearsal Studios in South London where the audition was taking place said: "The first round auditions are based on a pre-defined look, therefore a vocal audition is not guaranteed."

After being turned away, Michelle Durrant, 21, from Maidstone, Kent, said she believed that bosses would miss a lot of talent with their look-based screening.

She said: "We queued for two hours and got turned away without even getting the chance to sing. Before we even got inside the building, someone who looks like a record industry boss gave us the once-over.

"The odd person got given a gold card, which allowed them to go inside, and the rest of us were thanked for coming and told to go home. The only person I saw getting given a card was short and pretty with dark hair.

"I presume they are trying to get someone who looks like Kym Marsh. But I think they will be missing a lot of talent, and they really need someone who can sing because Kym was the only girl with a good voice."

Her friend Tamsin Dowden, 20, from York, said she was going to queue again to see whether she was more lucky the second time around.

Tamsin joked: "This time I'm going to go down on my knees so I look shorter, because it seems that is what they are looking for ... I did see more boys walking through than girls, so I'm not sure they have decided which sex they want yet."