A second Bradford singer is bidding for stardom after overcoming personal adversity to impress TV's Pop Idol judges.
When Danny Tetley, pictured, was born with a cleft palate and harelip his mother was told he may never be able to talk properly.
But 21 years on - after undergoing eight operations on his mouth as a child - he is pursuing a career as a pub and club singer and has now won through the audition stages of ITV's Pop Idol show, entered by more than 10,000 pop wannabes.
Viewers saw the Shipley singer belt out Anastasia's I'm Out of Love during the auditions in Manchester and celebrate with a somersault when he learned he was through to the final 100.
Danny, of Hazel Mount, Windhill, said: "The winner gets a record contract and will probably be the most famous person in the country for a year or two and if that happens it'd be a dream come true. But I'm ecstatic just to have got this far and pleased that my voice and personality have been recognised.
"There are people a lot worse off than me but hopefully this will show other people with cleft palates and harelips what you can achieve. I had to have eight operations when I was younger but speaking's never been a problem and I taught myself to sing.''
The former Salt Grammar School pupil added: "When I was 18 I was offered surgery to try to straighten my nose and put my chin back a bit. I turned it down, saying if people couldn't take me for what I was then it was a poor show and I haven't looked back since.''
Judge Nikki Chapman - creative director of 19 Management, the team behind S Club 7 and the Spice Girls which will manage the winner - said: "We heard a lot of Anastasias but only one from the guys - Danny did really well and gave a great audition.''
Danny's success follows that of Gareth Gates, 21, of Bradford, who overcame his stutter to reach the next stage of the contest with Westlife's On Angels' Wings.
The next stages of the contest, which will see the field whittled down to 50 as Danny performs The Drifters' Up on the Roof and Tom Jones's Sex Bomb, are to be screened on Sunday and a week on Saturday (October 27).
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