SA s X-Factor UK star Jeanette Akua gains girl group status

Rielle Carrington, Shereece Foster and Jeanette Akua after their first X-Factor group performance.

21-YEAR-OLD South African beauty consultant Jeanette Akua, who auditioned as a solo artist for X Factor UK 2013, has been selected to go through to the next round but this time as part of a new girl band called Stop, Look, Listen.

Akua and fellow soloist Rielle Carrington were dropped in the X Factor Bootcamp stage by judge and girls mentor' Nicole Scherzinger when she picked her artists for the top 50.

However, judge and groups mentor Gary Barlow, who felt there weren't enough girl groups in the competition, decided to give Akua and Carrington another chance by uniting them with Shereece SeeSee' Foster, who entered as part of a group that was rejected by Barlow based on the weakness of her two bandmates.

Stop, Look, Listen was formed just hours before their somewhat under-rehearsed performance of Rihanna's We Found Love' so Scherzinger forgave the notes that went a little cray at times and commented, The three of you are stars and you've never shined brighter than together.

I think we've found something really special, added judge and boys mentor' Louis Walsh on Sunday's show.

Having already chosen his six finalists, Barlow was thus faced with a difficult decision. I've got six seats and too many acts, he said.

The fear and anticipation on the other finalists' faces was evident as they anxiously waited to hear if their places were under threat.

When after a moment's deliberation Barlow announced that he wanted them in his final six, the trio jumped and shrieked with excitement. Overwhelmed at being given a second chance, Foster started sobbing, having already broken down in tears before her performance.

But who out of Barlow's other acts would the girls replace? Tense seconds later he relegated Tenors of Rock in favour of his new girl band. Barlow's creation could prove successful; British groups such as One Direction and Little Mix that were formed in the same fashion.

Although Jeanette Akua has lived in Romford, Essex for the past two years, she grew up in South Africa and speaks fluent Xhosa. She effortlessly demonstrated her mother tongue on stage before securing her place at Bootcamp with her version of Bon Iver's Skinny Love'.

She previously amazed judges at her closed room X-Factor audition performing Bad Romance' by Lady Gaga. Tough critic Barlow remarked, Do I feel like I'm in a room with a star? Absolutely!

LINK:	http://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/south-african-x-factor-star-jeanet...
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