Take That singer Mark Owen has been revealed as the writer of the final song in the West End show The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice. The song is sung by former X Factor contestant, Diana Vickers.

Playwright Jim Cartwright: “It had always been my intention to write an original song for the end of my play, when Little Voice finally sings in her own voice,” he said.

“However, when we first premiered it at the National Theatre in 1992 we ran out of time and a Judy Garland song was used.

“When I first heard ‘Sunlight’ with Diana Vickers singing it, tears came to my eyes. I was just thrilled. It was exactly what I wanted.

“Thank you to Mark, Jamie and Ben for helping me to realise my dream for the ending of the play. It has taken 17 years but with a song as perfect as this, it was worth the wait.”

Owen added: “Jim Cartwright is one of the country’s leading playwrights and to be asked to be involved in the writing of the final song for Little Voice was a real honour.

“I’m a huge fan and am thrilled that he feels the song fits the moment and does his play justice. I’m really looking forward to watching it.”

Take That singer, Mark Owen has said that troubled star Britney Spears was ill advised to appear on this year’s X Factor series.

The star came under a heap of criticism after she obviously mimed her performance and didn’t seem to know where she was or who she was supposed to be watching.

“I think she was ill-advised to appear on The X Factor,” Mark told Heat magazine. “They don’t have the show in the US, do they? I thought it seemed like she wasn’t sure where she was.”

Mark also talked about his own time mentoring the contestants this year and discussed his and Gary Barlow’s ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine.

“I was the good cop!” he said. “I honestly though they were all really good. I had my own favourite, but no, I’m not going to [say] who it was!”