X Factor's Hope In Meltdown

[Sunite]

X Factor's Hope In Meltdown

Nov 24 2007 By Rick Fulton

X Factor Girl Band Go Into Meltdown

X FACTOR girl band Hope were in crisis last night after one of the members went into a sulk.

CharlieMole stormed out of a vocal training session for the five-peice outfit.

She claimed Phoebe Brown was hogging the limelight and that the rest of the girls were being turned into backing singers.

Single mum and beauty therapist Charlie, 23, screamed that they had become "Phoebe and the Woo-Woo Girls".

Charlie was also fuming over the amount of attention and praise the judges have lavished on Phoebe, 16.

The band were favourites to get the boot tonight, even before Charlie, from Sunderland, flounced out.

They have also defied their mentor, Simon Cowell, over their choice of song.

An insider said: "There are huge tensions in the band.

"The other girls are not happy about Phoebe seeming to be taking the lead.

"Charlie stormed out of a session, screeching that the band were just backing singers and Hope have turned into 'Phoebe and the Woo-Woo Girls'.

"She hasn't quit the group but there are cracks.

"They've also chosen their own song over Simon Cowell this week after his song choices have put them in the bottom two twice."

Hope all failed to make it to the finals as individuals but got a lifeline when Louis Walsh suggested they form a group.

This week, they will perform Christina Aguilera's Hurt as part of the love songs theme.

Scot Leon Jackson, below, who made a surprise trip home to Whitburn, West Lothian, to see his mum this week, will sing You Don't Know Me.

The insider said the visit was "his way of saying thank you to her for travelling down from Scotland every Saturday".

The other finalists are Same Difference, Rhydian Roberts, Niki Evans and Beverley Trotman, with Westlife being tonight's show guests.

THE SONGS

Beverley Trotman Without You

Niki Evans The Power Of Love

Same Difference Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now

Rhydian Roberts Somewhere

Leon Jackson You Don't Know Me

Hope Hurt