After singing his way into next week’s X factor final, Joe McElderry and his mentor Cheryl Cole have made a surprise visit to his home town of South Shields today.

Joe received a rapturous welcome from hundreds of fans as he and Cheryl visited his old school Harton Technology College in Lisle Road. The 18-year-old performed Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ to a packed school hall.

It is thought that Dannii Minogue and Stacey Solomon will be visiting Dagenham later this week.