TALENTED Leverne Scott-Roberts is on the way to becoming a pop star after surviving a face to face TV encounter with a feared hitman!

While other contestants were being reduced to tears by the acid comments of pop producer and former Hitman & Her presenter Pete Waterman, Leverne escaped unscathed and impressed him and the other judges to reach the final 50 on the hit TV show Pop Idol.

Now the former Weaverham High School pupil is to face trial by TV on Saturday when she will perform for the cameras and viewers will have the opportunity to decide whether she progresses to the next round of filming.

Leverne, 19, has already overcome opposition from 10,500 other pop hopefuls to reach the final stages and has been picked as one of the favourites to win the overall competition, which would net her a lucrative recording contract and certain chart success.

Her dad, Brian Roberts, said: 'She is in London at the moment recording the next show.

'She initially went to Manchester for auditions to make it through to the last 100 who were invited to London for an audition.

'Now it is up to the public. There will be four shows and in each viewers get to vote on who goes through to the next stage. Leverne is on the first show, broadcast on Saturday.

'When the judges were deciding who would be in the last 50, they each picked out their favourites and Leverne was named.'

Leverne, of Winsford, reached the final stages singing songs including Madonna's Like A Virgin and a Christine Aguilera hit.

Leverne, who has a younger brother and sister, Jack, seven and Lydia, nine, has already worked in the music industry as a session singer.

Mr Roberts added: 'She has always been very musical and this is all she has ever wanted to do. 'Hopefully people in the North West will get behind her and vote her through to the next round.'

Be sure to vote for Leverne on Pop Idols on ITV at 6.30pm on Saturday.