Newton Aycliffe mum appears on ITV Starstruck as Dua Lipa

Singer Cassandra Bowtell appeared on the Saturday night show which sees superfans transform into their idols to take on their biggest songs.

Cassandra, 38, from Newton Aycliffe who has been singing since she was 16 said: “At first I wasn’t going to do it but I thought for the sake of my kids I’m going to show them that you can do anything.”

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“I started singing at 16 – it was the first job I went into. I have been doing it for a long time performing gigs, doing tribute acts in pubs, bars and everything.

“I got a message on Instagram few years back before the first series was even on the telly asking if I was interested in going on and had to do online interviews and auditions and everything.

Cassandra on the ITV show on April 1 (Image: ITV)

“When I saw it on the TV and realised I hadn’t made it on I thought I’d apply for the second series and I heard back straight away.

“I had to do auditions and went down to London last September for vocal coaching and rehearsals before they chose the three of us who would go on the show. I’d never been to London on my own before so took my mum with me the first time.

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“I was filming my VT with the kids from my singing class when I got the call to say I’d made the last three.”

The ITV show sees contestants undergo the ‘ultimate ‘superstar experience’, shedding their normal personas to become music icons.

In each episode four teams of three, all made-up as their idols, they battle it out for a place in the final and a chance to win the £50,000 prize.

Cassandra, who is a professional singer and lives with her partner and two kids at their Aycliffe home, transformed into Dua Lipa, famous for songs including Levitating and Hotter Than Hell.

Dua Lipa herself (Image: PA)

“It was amazing, we got to work with choreographers who’d worked with Janet Jackson and the hair and make-up people had done Dua’s make up before,” she added.

“You don’t get to meet the judges until you’re on stage and they’re giving you feedback.

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“It went really well. We knew Dua was going to be hard because she’s not known for her vocal compared to some of the others but we had a really good time and we were really well looked after.

“I was doing a gig in Darlington on Saturday night when it aired but watched it when I got home and about 5 times on Sunday!”

“The response has been amazing and I’ve got a few more gigs booked in already.”

Cassandra’s episode is available to watch on ITVX and Starstruck continues on ITV1 and ITVX on Saturday evenings.