18:45, Saturday 16 September, 2006, ITV1

The Judges’ Audition Tour continues and this week they visit Dublin, Glasgow and Birmingham. Show 5 includes:

o Sharon being called away for a family emergency – with devastating results.
o Louis accusing Simon of being ‘out of control.’
o A return trip from Rudi
o Shayne Ward’s Biggest Fan.
o Latvia’s top singer.
o Chloe discovers that fame costs.
o Ian’s last chance.

Louis is optimistic. Dublin is his hometown and he’s confident that they’ll see a lot of talent. ‘I think today could be the day that we find this megastar’ he boasts. ‘Today is National Talent Day’ adds Sharon. But yet again, the Judges are to be let down. Simon says ‘I’ve got to be honest with you. I almost think that this was a waste of time.’ Louis defends his hometown. ‘I’m not disagreeing with you. The talent is out there, they should have come in there and sang.’

During the Dublin audition Sharon hears some devastating news. Fire has swept through her Buckinghamshire mansion. She receives a call from husband Ozzy who tells her the news. ‘We’ve had an accident at the house. There was a fire at the house’ she explains. Simon insists that she leaves the auditions immediately and return home to sort out the crisis.

With so many auditionees left, it is up to Simon and Louis to see the other hopefuls. Like usual, a successful hopeful must receive two votes – but Sharon’s absence is beginning to be felt.

‘Sharon’s lovely’ says one; ‘You had to leave but really so many people needed your yes’ added another; ‘Sharon, come back because two out of three isn’t good enough’ pleaded another.

One hopeful who was determined not to let Sharon’s absence rob him of his dream was Rudi, 19 from Dublin. ‘My big dream in life is to be a superstar, to be on stage singing. For that to be my job. Like most people in an office I wouldn’t enjoy that. I’d love to be on a stage, singing, playing the piano.‘ He sings In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins and whilst Louis thinks he’s good, Simon is less impressed. ‘OK. But nothing I haven’t seen or heard a million times. Rudi, you prepared for the audition and then you delivered nothing’ Without the required two votes, the X Factor journey ends before it begins for Rudi.

He’s not happy and argues with Simon. ‘It’s not fair. We were told there would be three Judges here and it’s not fair. All I need is a chance’ he pleads. Louis back him up and tells Simon ‘Sharon would have said yes’. Rudi tells Kate ‘If he doesn’t want you through, your’re not getting though. He will say well Sharon’s not here, she can’t say for herself and he said write her a letter. Sharon you should have been here. It’s not fair on anyone.’

But Rudi is not one to give up on his ambition travels all the way to the Glasgow auditions when all three Judges are in attendance. She’s pleased that he’s made the effort and says ‘this must mean an awful lot to you to have travelled all this way.’ He sings a different song and Louis says ‘I think you’ve got potential and that’s why I put you through in Dublin and I like the fact that you’re passionate and you came all the way from Dublin to do a second audition. That’s what this business is all about. Ambition, ambition, ambition. You only learn from experience and that’s why I’m saying yes to Rudi.’ Simon is still determined not to let him through but Sharon says ‘You’ve come all this way. I’m going to have to agree with Louis’ and so Rudi eventually goes through to Bootcamp.

Louis thinks Simon has gone too far. ‘I’m not even arguing with you. Your ego is out of control today’ he complains.

But it’s not all squabbling. Without Sharon, the two find it increasingly hard to stop their giggling fits. Simon explains ‘Sometimes, you just start laughing and you get the giggles and you can’t stop. And it wasn’t even funny. It’s embarrassing. You should apologise’ Louis adds ‘You’re not really laughing at them. You’re laughing because you shouldn’t be laughing. It’s like when you’re in church and you start laughing. At nothing!’

One act who thinks he has The X Factor is Cathal, 21 from Dugannon. He idolises last year’s winner Shayne Ward and thinks that he also has the looks and the talent to propel him to the Final. He says ‘I love Shayne, just love him to bits, the way he sings, it’s all there. I would love to be just like him. I want the Judges to see I’m the next Shayne Ward.’ Cathal seems to have modelled himself on his hero, even wearing a grey sweatshirt similar to the one that Shayne wore for his first audition last year.

Sadly, this is where the resemblance finishes. He sings Shayne’s winning single That’s My Goal but Simon stops him. ‘I’ve got to stop this. Who did you sing this song to before you here today? It was absolutely dreadful. I’m not being rude, it was absolutely terrible.’ So Cathal’s goal remains just that.

Things didn’t get better with Papulana, 24. She says ‘I believe I’m beautiful, I believe I’ve got a beautiful body, I’m confident I can sing any song, I believe I can go as far as the top, I can reach the top. I mean the sky is the limit’.

She sings Listen To Your Heart and the Judges are unimpressed. Simon says ‘Your problem is that you don’t sing like a human being. You don’t sound like a human and that is the fundamental problem we have here.’ Sharon agrees ‘No your voice sounds like a little sheep. You know those things you turn over and it bleats?’ Unsurprisingly she receives three nos.

And Louis and Simon listen to Latvian Jelena, 18 who now lives in Dublin. She says ‘My dream is to become a singer, successful, I can change people’s lives by singing. I believe I have been chosen to do this, helping everyone and bringing joy and happiness.’ She tells the Judges ‘I am originally from Latvia but I live in Ireland and I love this country and music is my passion of course. I think I’m good. I got a prize in National singing contest in Latvia since I was 16 I wrote more than 100 songs so I’m here, I’m ready.

She sings – very passionately – and Simon says ‘Er, a bit over the top I thought. The only line I remember was no more pain. Absolutely no sweetheart.’

Chloe, 16 from Poole in Dorset is hungry for fame. Dressed in a pretty pink dress and matching cowboy hat she says ‘I crave fame, it’s something that everyone wants co’s it’s easy. There are no obstacles, there’s no working. It’s just wow you’re in the limelight and everyone wants a piece of you and it’s amazing. I so want this so badly, you’ve no idea – I will get on my knees and beg for this.’ She tells the Judges ‘My dream is to be a singer. My dream is to be on The X Factor. Every single year I’ve been too young to enter and I’ve looked at the screen thinking wow they’ve got it, they’re amazing, they’ve got it made, I want to be on that stage so badly.’

She sings Killing Me Softly by The Fugees. Simon tells her ‘It’s like you’ve been bred in a laboratory as some music creation. You know, a second of Mariah, a second of Christina, I mean it was just like you’ve been bombarded with all these singers and all ended up in you but none of it came out right. Chloe, you represent millions of 16 year old people in this country today who just want to be famous like that. But it’s all too much, too over the top. It didn’t work.’ She doesn’t get through – but throws her cowboys hat down at the Judges in protest!!

She’s not the only one with high hopes. One hopeful says ‘I’d like to walk into Asda when I’m doing my shopping and see my CD there.’

And it’s the last chance of fame for Ian, 38 from Sutton Coldfield whose 4 year old daughter gives him one of her teddies for luck. He says ‘Of course it’s my dream and of course every singer gets set backs but there’s only a certain amount of nos you can stand. This is it for me. Last chance saloon’. He tells the Judges ‘(I’m here) to hit the big time, to make life better for myself and my family and live the dream. That’s want I want to do. I’ve done the clubs up and down the country for years. I stopped about 5 years performing properly.’

He sings and the Judges are surprised. Sharon puts him through immediately. Simon says ‘Good singer, very nice person. I don’t think you have it and I’m going to say no’. Louis says ‘When you walked into the room I absolutely no chance. And then you started to sing and I absolutely loved your voice so my answer is 100% yes.’ So Ian is through to Bootcamp.

Kerry, 31 from Glasgow has lived her life in a wheelchair since breaking her back at the age of 13. She explains ‘My life changed completely for me at that point because from an early age I had been very involved in singing and ballet and drama. In some people’s eyes it could be a hindrance but in my eyes it’s not, if anything it gives me all the more reason to kick my heels in and go on. I am determined and I will achieve. Without the music I probably wouldn’t have the drive and passion to be here today. I just want to prove to people that there’s always a way forward. It’s just a state of mind sometimes.’

Kerry sings Maria McKee’s Show Me Heaven. Louis says ‘You’ve definitely got a very good voice Kerry. And you sang it like you meant it and I really liked it. I was quite surprised.’ Sharon says ‘You’ve got a great voice, a great face too. I liked it very much.’ And Simon agreed ‘You’ve got a great voice. Good choice of song.’ Kerry gets a yes from all three Judges and is through to Bootcamp.