MILLIONS of music fans tuned in to watch a teenager X Factor sensation wow the judges and sail through to the next stage of the ITV contest.
James Graham, 17, of Westerwings, Bicknacre, was labelled the competition's 'dark horse' by music mogul Simon Cowell after he wowed 5,000 spectators in a live audition at Wembley Arena.
The teenager has already beaten thousands of other hopefuls to get through two auditions to the boot camp stage, which will be televised in two weeks.
"I was really nervous, the crowd can get to you," James told the Chronicle.
"The bloke before me was a bit of an eccentric and got booed off the stage so that made it worse.
"But once I got going I settled in. Simon helped me a lot, he put me at ease, and at the end I couldn't have been happier with the result."
James, who says his mum Paula is his biggest fan, wowed the four judges with his rendition of Adele's I Can't Make You Love Me.
Notoriously hard-to-please Simon Cowell said afterwards: "This stage either makes you or breaks you. And it made you. You could hear a pin drop in here.
"You might be the dark horse in this competition."
Former Spice Girl Mel B added: "You've got it and more with sprinkles on top, it had everything. It was soulful and sexy."
His first taste of the big time came in April 2012 when he beat 17 other hopefuls to win Maldon's Got Talent with his rendition of Andrea Bocelli's Because We Believe – and the top prize of £700.
Before that, aged just 14, he performed at Open Mic UK 2011.
Filming for the show has already taken place up until the live shows.
"All I can say is that there will be fireworks, there are some twists and turns and it makes for really good TV," he laughed. "It's still weird watching myself on TV but it's getting easier to watch.
James lives at home with his mum, Paula, his dad Dave and his older brother Ben, 20, and has spent hours practising his singing in his bedroom when he isn't helping out in the AT Music studio in Rettendon with Heybridge voice coach Marc Lincoln-Fargeot, MD of AT Music.
Billericay's Lauren Platt, 16, was also put through to the next round by the judges.
