Two North-East hopefuls have their sights on fame and fortune when they take part in two of our best-loved TV shows tonight.

Appearing simultaneously on different channels, they need the North's support to realise their dreams. Kate Bowman and Gavin Havery report.

TWELVE thousand people auditioned, a dozen went through to be Fame Academy students and tonight the North East's very own singer-songwriter Alistair Griffin will take part in the nail-biting final.

The 25-year-old from North Yorkshire is hours away from finding out whether his live performances will impress the public enough to win him a life-changing record deal and celebrity status for a year.

The only male soloist left in the running, Middlesbrough football supporter Alistair will be competing against Alex Parks and Carolynne Good in the hope that his dreams of a music career come true.

His parents, Barbara and Philip, have travelled from their hometown of Castleton, near Whitby, to attend the final in London along with Alistair's sisters Vicky, 29, and Ruth, 35, who flew in from New Zealand on Thursday.

Mrs Griffin has high hopes for her son, who she said has had many knockbacks in the past. She said: "The competition is fierce but this has given him huge exposure. People can see that he can write songs, he can sing and he can perform."

TV judge Richard Parks, talking exclusively to The Northern Echo and local radio station 96.6 tfm, said it was Alistair's personality that carried him into the final three.

"He's very much like the Butlin's Red Coat - organising all the games throughout this Fame Academy," he said.

"But whether he is a good enough singer, a good enough songwriter, to actually go out into the big wide world and make a serious dent on the music business, I've got reservations about it."

Millions are expected to tune in to BBC1 for the final showdown and Richard Parks expects the vote to be extraordinarily close between Alistair and Alex.

Alistair, who has worked as a milkman in the past, will be performing If You Come Back (Blue) and Wherever You Will Go (The Calling) in the first half of tonight's crucial show.

If he makes it through to the final two, he will go on to sing Everything I Own (Bread) and his own piece, Bring It On, as well as performing a duet with artist Daniel Bedingfield.

POP Idol hopeful Jamie Tinkler is urging fans of the show across the North-East to back him in tonight's heat to go through to the final ten.

Middlesbrough-born Jamie 22, has already recorded his version of Richard Marx's Right Here Waiting.

Tonight, he will face the public vote that decides whether he has a chance of becoming the next Will Young or Gareth Gates.

"I have seen what has happened to the other Pop Idols and I know what I am letting myself in for," said Jamie, from Linthorpe.

"I see it as a chance to a foot in the door and get my music out there.

"I would like people from the region to back me because this is something I have wanted to do since I was a kid.

"If I am given the opportunity, I will give it the best shot I can."

Jamie has already beaten off stiff competition from 20,000 other hopefuls who faced excruciatingly embarrassing auditions and no shortage of sarcastic and scathing put-downs from the infamous judging panel.

So far, he has managed to impress Simon Cowell, Nicki Chapman, Neil Fox and Pete Waterman enough to get into the final 50.

Millions will be watching at 6.50pm to see if he is one of the two hopefuls chosen via telephone vote to make the last ten.

A singer who has worked in clubs around the North-East, he has traditionally performed songs that have been popular in the charts, covering such artists as Westlife and Ronan Keating.

His idols are Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, and he hopes the show, hosted by fellow North-Easterners Ant and Dec will enable him to write and perform his own songs.

To vote Alistair to Fame Academy glory, call 09011 212 209 or text "Vote Alistair" to 83123.

To help Jamie into Pop Idol's final ten, the vote line opens at 7.45pm. Call 0901 121 121, followed by the digit number of your chosen contestant in the order they appear on screen.

What TV show to watch is the hardest decision of all!