Cher Lloyd stars again on X Factor

The latest edition of the show was dedicated to the songs of Elton John. Cher performed a mix of Sir Elton’s Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word and Eminem’s Mockingbird, while competition favourite Matt Cardle tackled Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and wacky Wagner blended I’m Still Standing with The Circle of Life.

X Factor supremo Simon Cowell had criticised 17-year-old Cher’s performance the previous week for lacking originality.

However this week he praised her for bouncing back so strongly. He told her: “You are 100 per cent back in the game. You take criticism. You handle it well.

“I think you did fantastically well.”

And Cher’s mentor Cheryl Cole added: “With your stage presence and sometimes pretended confidence it’s easy to forget you’re 17 and sometimes need a bit of support and reassurance.

“You are a little star in the making Cher and I’m privileged to be working alongside you.”

Dannii Minogue called the performance “relaxed and comfortable”, but said she would prefer to see more singing and less of Cher’s trademark rapping.

X Factor viewers saw footage of an excited Cher signing autographs and posing for photographs with fans at last week’s London premiere of new Harry Potter Film The Deathly Hallows Part One.

She said: “This is the most important I’ve felt in my life. I feel like somebody now. ”

Cher, a former Dyson Perrins student, will again be singing live for the public vote when X Factor returns on ITV1 tomorrow (Saturday) evening * Cher Lloyd was not the only person from Malvern to appear on X Factor at the weekend. On Sunday night’s results show cellist Sarah Westley, a former Chase student, appeared on stage with Take That as they performed live for the first time since Robbie Williams re-joined the group.

The talented musician, a former winner of the BBC Young Musician of Hereford and Worcester award, studied at Trinity College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music.