SINGING duo Journey South celebrated the launch of their first album in the region yesterday during a whistlestop tour of the UK.

Hundreds of fans welcomed home the region's X Factor finalist as they journeyed south to coincide with the release of their self-titled album.

Fans of all ages gathered at Asda, in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, to catch a glimpse of heart-throbs Andy and Carl Pemberton.

The brothers, from Coulby Newham, shot to fame after taking part in the television talent show X Factor, coming third out of 75,000 hopefuls.

With the help of a private jet and a huge entourage, the duo made a tour of the UK in one day - calling at Edinburgh, Middlesbrough, Cheshire and Birmingham.

The event was the group's own idea after receiving thousands of e-mails from fans unable to see them during the X Factor tour.

Andy said: "It's a pleasure to get out there and meet all the fans that put us through the show and showed so much support for us.

"It is brilliant to be back in Middlesbrough and the North-East in general - everyone is so supportive."

The brothers are hoping to secure the number one slot in the album charts after signing a record deal with pop guru Simon Cowell.

But they look set to have strong competition on their hands as fellow X Factor contestant and former binman Andy Abraham and rock legend Prince also launched their albums yesterday.

At the moment, Journey South are just ahead in the race for the number one spot with their self-titled album, while their X Factor rival is in second place with The Impossible Dream.

Andy added: "The sales are hopefully going well and hopefully we can get that number one spot."

Eleven-year-old Shauna Beck was the first in line to get her album signed. She said: "It is like a dream come true - it was worth the wait."

The album includes 12 tracks, with self-penned All That I Am and It's All For You, as well as covers of Let It Be, Desperado and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

Carl, 25, said: "We co-wrote one song with Paul Barry, who helped Enrique Iglesias write the song Hero.

"All That I Am is about how this experience has been hard on Vic (Carl's fiancee) and hard on Michelle (Andy's wife), but it's saying that we're not just doing it for ourselves, but for them as well."

Woolworths music boss Jim Batchelor said: "Journey South have got off to a good start and look set to smash the 175,000 mark in their first week of sales.

"But Andy has also sold well and there's only a couple of hundred CDs in it. The race to be number one will go down to the wire."

X-Factor winner Shayne Ward's debut album is released next month.