X-Factor begins search for a new star

Saturday night talent show, The X-Factor, returned to television screens last night with more contestants hoping to sing their way to stardom.

Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh once again sat in judgment of the musical hopefuls who over the next 21 weeks will battle it out for the top prize of a recording contract.

This year nearly 75,000 have entered the X-Factor competition.

The show has three categories – for 16-24-year-olds, 25s and over, and for groups.

This year’s contestants, who auditioned for the show, include a dairy farmer who dresses in drag, and a teenager with a voice which has been compared to Whitney Houston’s.

Last year’s winner Steve Brookstein, 36, a former pub and club singer, landed a deal with Simon Cowell’s BMG label after winning the show despite harsh criticism from X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne who described him as “an average singer”.

Brookstein’s debut single Against All Odds shot to number one and his debut album, Heart & Soul, went straight to number one in the album charts.

But Brookstein was dropped after just eight months by his record label.

He recently hit out at the show claiming it has done him more harm than good and has warned potential contestants against taking part.