NORTH-EAST pop princess Zoe Birkett has unveiled the cover of the debut single which she hopes will take her straight to the top of the charts.

The 17-year-old, from Darlington, who releases Treat Me Like a Lady on January 6, spoke to the Northern Echo yesterday about her aspirations for the record.

"I absolutely love the single," she said. "It's a funky, disco pop song. It took a long time to choose the right song but this was definitely the best one."

The track, written by her fellow Pop Idol contestant Sarah Whatmore, is bound to surprise fans who expected her to release a Big Band tune - her trademark on the hit ITV show.

But Zoe is convinced the song will be a hit and says she does not feel fazed by the staggering sales for Pop Idol winner Will Young and runner-up Gareth Gates' debut singles.

"I don't feel under pressure," she said. "I'm different to the guys. I'm a girl. If this single doesn't do well, I'll carry on."

The teenager has recently moved into her own flat in London. "My mum visits me a lot here, which is great, but I only get home now and again at the moment because I'm so busy," she said.

Zoe, who came fourth in Pop Idol at the start of this year, made a one-off appearance as a presenter on BBC1's The Saturday Show last week.

Her debut album is expected to be released next year.