EDITOR'S CHOICE VOTE Do you think that the Goshen Park site should be turned over to property developers? Click here to vote. We have a fantastic array of hot deals, cruises, day trips and sporting breaks run by our friendly staff at the Reader Travel Office. YOU SAY: YOUR LETTERS Children are making my son’s life a misery Parks are a credit to hard work The role of binman has completely changed Hospital staff deserve praise Litter on our streets is a big problem NEWS FROM RAMSBOTTOM, TOTTINGTON AND DISTRICT A warm welcome from noble neighbour £85 penalty notice for health centre patient No jail for kitchen boss who says ‘justice has been done’ Bluffers are in big demand GET OUR NEWS BY E-MAIL Just register

Most read Comments 1 Bus patrols on board for 12 months 2 Stubbins blooms action day 3 Mum and daughters found safe and well 4 Man loses phone to tall skinny robber 5 Gigg Lane final woe for poor Old Boys 6 Can you help Zoe become Miss Great Britain? Today | 7 Days 1 JOHN MEADOWCROFT, Secretary, Sea Training School/College (Gravesend) Association, 15 Springbok Cottages, Alford, Surrey, GU6 8HT

Emma gets a lift during the X Factor final. Photo by Ken McCay/Rex Features

WANNABE pop star Emma Chawner was throne' back on to our television screens at the weekend for the X Factor final.

The trainee hairdresser from Ramsbottom was carried on stage in a sedan chair to sing the climax of Whitney Houston's One Moment in Time with other failed contenders from the early stages of the televised singing contest.

But things did not go so smoothly during rehearsals on Saturday afternoon - the Sedan chair bearers dropped the chair with Emma in it!

The 18-year-old told the Bury Times: "The men carrying me were all covered in baby oil. The legs of the chair were metal and one of them at the back slipped as they were coming down the stairs. It was really dangerous. The chair went over backwards and I got scratches on my back. I said I wouldn't go through with it on the live programme unless the men wore talcum powder on their hands."

Saturday night's live X Factor final brought Emma, of Lancaster Avenue, face-to-face with acerbic judge Simon Cowell for the first time since he accused of singing "like a baby" during her audition for the programme.

She wore the same homemade dress that Cowell ridiculed in the doomed audition but she has since taken private singing lessons and felt confident that she could make the Sony BMG executive eat his own words.

She said: "Simon said he had been wrong about some of us and I think he meant it. I can't forgive him for what he said and for the way they treated me in the audition but this weekend made up for it."

Emma spoke to the Bury Times on her mobile as she helped dad Philip and mum Audrey with the weekly shop at Asda in Rawtenstall on Monday.

She said: "I had a great weekend. The other contestants were really nice too. Me and my dad were chatting with finalists Same Difference for ages. I'm glad I've met so many great people. We all stayed up until 2am singing in the hotel bar."

Sister Sam (20) took the phone as Emma chatted with fans in the bread aisle.

She said: "She did really fantastic. Me and mum were crying when she came on in the chair. It was wonderful. We're really proud of her."

Sam now has her own ambitions. She and Emma have both applied for Britain's Got Talent as well as for the next series of X Factor.

6:13pm Thursday 20th December 2007

Print

Email this