AFTER her triumphant return to the X Factor, Middlesbrough’s Amelia Lily is expected to vow the judges and audience with her performance tonight.
The talented teenager has the support of the region as she continues to hit the high notes.
Amelia, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, who has just turned 17, has had the odds of becoming this year’s champion slashed after a powerful comeback performance on last Saturday night’s show.
Her mother, Aranka Bradley, said last night she is taking all the attention in her stride as she continues her aim of fulfilling her dream.
“Amelia is not fazed by it at all,” she said. “She just picked herself up and got on with it, clearly it has paid off after her successful return last week but that is what this business is all about – taking the rough with the smooth.
“It can be quite stressful, but she just takes it in her stride – the amount of interest that people are showing in her.
“The other night, she went to a West End show with her brother and when she came out there was about 15 paparazzi outside waiting for her, but she can handle it.”
Amelia only left the school in June and was due to go to Stockton Riverside College, but deferred her entry.
And in an attempt to ensure she is crowned X Factor champion, pupils at her former school, Teesside High School, have launched an internet campaign on Facebook and Twitter to get everyone voting.
Headteacher Malcolm Wilkinson said: “The school is buzzing with excitement again following Amelia’s dramatic return to the X Factor on Saturday with an exhilarating performance.
“To be able to perform with such confidence, with only two days to rehearse the song, is incredible and we are very proud of her.”
Earlier this week, the busy teenager, who has spent the week rehearsing under the guidance of Kelly Rowland, took time out for a taste of the red carpet at the launch of the film Breaking Dawn: Part One, at London’s Westfield Shopping Centre.
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