Christopher blossoms on X Factor

There is a whole lotta shaking going on when nervous X Factor contestant Christopher Maloney takes to the stage in tonight's show.

The 34-year-old overcomes his fears to belt out his version of The Rose by Bette Midler and impresses the judges and the most important woman in his life - his grandmother Patricia who joins him on stage at the end of his audition.

The Liverpool-based singer confessed it took him five years to summon up the courage to appear on the show. He said: "I've downloaded the application form, filled it out, put it in an envelope and ripped it up every year.

"I've always wanted to sing but people have discouraged me and said that, you know, you're not good enough. They have really knocked my confidence, they've discouraged me from applying, in my head I just think I'm not good enough and that's what has stopped me from doing it."

He told Tulisa Contostavlos he chose the song because it was played at his grandfather's funeral.

The N-Dubz star finds herself a fan in Jason, an 18-year-old from Vietnam now living in Birmingham, who presents her with a rose when he gets on stage.

The teenager tells Dermot O'Leary: "She's lovely, she's brilliant, she's talented, she's amazing, she's gorgeous."

There is a bit less love on show between Gary Barlow and guest judge Geri Halliwell who joins the show in Liverpool and tells Gary: "Not everybody in Take That could sing, sorry, I'm just being honest.

"Gary, when I first started I could not sing, I can sing now. Two of your members could not sing."