Town singer Jahmene has the X Factor (From Swindon Advertiser)

Town singer Jahmene has the X Factor

9:30am Saturday 18th August 2012 in News By Matthew Edwards

A LOCAL singer is hoping to take the X Factor by storm as he takes to the stage in the new series of the show tonight.

Shy supermarket worker Jahmene Douglas, who has previously won Swindon’s Got Talent, wows the judges in tonight's show.

Viewers will see the singer, who works at Asda in Haydon Wick , conquer his nerves to put in a great performance of the Etta James track At Last.

The youngster, who describes himself as a “stay-at-home kind of guy”, gets a great reception, with Louis Walsh calling him “a revelation.”

The Irishman tells him: “You have got the X Factor, you are what we are looking for. I think a star is born.”

The 21-year-old also got praise from former Take That singer Gary Barlow, who said the former New College student was the best singer he had ever heard, And Nicole Sherzinger told him: “I wanna eat you up.”

Insiders have reportedly said he is a “shoo-in” for the ITV1 show’s live finals and likened him to Dublin Tesco worker Mary Byrne, who also did well on a previous show Speaking after the audition Jahmene said: “Taking part was overwhelming.

“I’m just grateful to have been part of the experience, regardless of the outcome."

He has already got the backing of people from Swindon with a Facebook page, with one fan writing: “Jahmene to win the X Factor!” Another said “We will all be watching you on sat. You will win x factor.”

Other contestants on the first show include a fireman, a florist and a Rod Stewart lookalike.

Viewers will also see Pink lookalike Zoe Alexander storm off stage after reacting badly to the judges' comments.

Former Spice Girl Mel B joins the panel in Manchester and does not hold back in her criticism, telling one act: "I would have more fun watching paint dry."

But even she is impressed by 16-year-old Ella Henderson, from Lincolnshire, who sings a song dedicated to her dead grandfather.

She tells the teenager: “What we just witnessed was incredible.”