Kylie hit can't save Fame bid Katie

The Fame Academy doors closed on 18-year-old singing hopeful Katie Lewis as she battled in vain to survive her sixth eviction threat.

Meanwhile, academy teachers named 22-year-old gas-fitter Malachi Cush, from Co Tyrone, as the first student on probation next week.

Katie’s rendition of Kylie Minogue’s Can’t Get You Out Of My Head failed to sway the four remaining contestants who voted instead for fellow-probationer Ainslie Henderson.

The other student singing-for-survival was baby-faced David Sneddon, from Paisley.

His version of Elton John’s Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me proved to be the public’s favourite with 42% voting to keep him in the show.

More than a million people voted in the show - the highest number recorded so far in the BBC1 talent quest.

Lionel Ritchie made a guest appearance to perform his collaboration with the young hopefuls Back To You for the first time.

Ritchie said the students were amazing to have survived the pressure of being in the Fame Academy and added: ‘‘I would have passed out a long time ago’’.

As the contestants are whittled down, the pressure keeps building.

Just five of the original 12 students now remain in the academy competing for the £1m record deal and the chance to live like a star for a year.