A TEENAGER from the North-East has become one of the youngest contestants to audition successfully for one of television's biggest talent shows.
And the youngster - who became old enough to audition only two days before the deadline - will not be alone in her quest for fame and fortune, with her father also making it to the next round.
Fourteen-year-old Olivia Thompson and her father, Mark, 40, have made it through the first stages of ITV's hit show, the X Factor.
It is the first year the age limit for the contest has been dropped from 16 to 14, allowing Olivia to try her luck along with 200,000 hopefuls.
The show has produced a host of stars, including Middlesbrough brothers Carl and Andy Pemberton, of Journey South, who shot to fame when they came third out of 75,000 contestants.
After becoming addicted to the show, Olivia, a pupil of Ian Ramsay School, Stockton, constantly bugged her father to audition, although he is no stranger to the stage.
From the age of 17, he has been involved in bands, touring pubs, clubs and university circuits ten years ago as rhythm guitarist and frontman of The Kettle Black.
It was after last year's show Olivia set him the challenge of applying for the X Factor. And while she was searching on the internet for the forms, she discovered the age restriction had dropped, so she decided to try, too.
On May 19, the family, from Norton, Stockton, travelled to Manchester for the auditions.
Olivia's mother, Lesley, said: "It was really exciting. My husband went in and then he came out with a red ticket, which meant he got through. So many people were coming out crying and upset.
"In the afternoon, Olivia went in. We had to wait to run out because they wanted to film us. The judge for Olivia, who I think is Simon Cowell's partner, said 'Oh yes, I think so'."
The pair will audition in front of another judge at the end of the month.
If they pass that round, they will get the chance to sing in front of the celebrity panel, which includes Sharon Osborne and Simon Cowell.
Olivia said: "I'm really excited. I really want to do well - then I can put Stockton on the map."
Mr Thompson said: "I was over the moon. I always promised I would do it. It took about two hours for me to come back down - I was floating on a cloud."
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