Cheryl Cole's top three girls were named as Lancashire student Diana Vickers, 17; Manchester student Laura White, 17, and Alexandra Burke, 20, a London singer.

Simon Cowell's boys were announced as schoolboy Eoghan Quigg, 16, from Derry; Austin Drage, 21, a singer from Essex and ex-Bluecoat Scott Bruton, 19, from Manchester.

Dannii Minogue named her top three as London mum Rachel Hylton, 26; pool cleaner Daniel Evans, 38, from Essex, and PR consultant Ruth Lorenzo, 25, from Surrey.

Louis Walsh, in charge of the groups, chose Bad Lashes, Girlband and JLS as his finalists.

The girls are said to be the strongest this year with Laura White being the current favourite to win the series, closely followed by Alexandra Burke and Rachel Hylton.

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