MUSIC fans across Harrow will be glued to their TV sets to see how two local acts fare in trying to reach the live finals of singing spectacular The X Factor.

Last week viewers witnessed quirky trio M.I.T.S.O.T.U and solo singer-songwriter Adam Burridge surviving the Bootcamp stage to reach the judges’ houses stage of the popular programme where the four mentors whittle down the six contestants in their category to three.

Saturday’s show on ITV1 will see Adam, 23, who worked for a number of newspapers including the Observer as an advertising sales rep, bidding to impress Pussycat Doll and judge Nicole Scherzinger in the Boys category.

His father, Mark Burridge, of Walton Avenue, South Harrow, said: “As a family we have always been big fans of the show so watching him perform on The X Factor stage has been quite surreal, but we are all so proud of him.

“The whole thing has been incredible for him and irrespective of how he gets on the exposure to the music industry and the experience this has given him has been great.

“It has required a lot of hard work and quite intense at times but he realises that if you put in the work there are great rewards.”

Mr Burridge said Adam, a former pupil at Earlsmead Primary School in Arundel Drive, South Harrow, and of Queensmead School, in South Ruislip, decided to put himself forward for this year’s series after it was opened up to songwriters.

He added: “He got a call from a friend who organises acts at The Trinity pub in Harrow who said he thought he should go for it this year because of new rules.

“The Trinity has been great for Adam in the past and given him a lot more exposure locally.

“Adam has always been into music and would always be on the computer looking up artists or listening to music, but we decided to get him a guitar – bought for about £50 at a music shop in Harrow.

“It just went from there really. I heard him singing along and told him ‘you’ve got a really nice tone to your voice’ and since then he has just got better and better.

“Since then there has been some good gigs, and some not so good gigs, but hopefully this can give him the break he needs.”

Similarly fighting for a spot in the final 12 are M.I.T.S.O.T.U who are in the Groups category under band manager and judge Louis Walsh.

Professional dancer James Collins, 22, of The Drive, North Harrow, said: “It is great to have got through to the judge’s houses, I am so ecstatic.

“We are feeling so positive about the whole thing and so far the journey has been an amazing experience.

“We were all surprised when we got Louis, because he normally gets the ‘Overs-twentysomethings’ category but he is such a sweet dude, and he knows his stuff.”

James’ bandmates are Jimmy Essex, 23, of Moelyn Mews, Harrow, a professional dancer, and Holly Cooper, 23, from Kent, who works as a hospital admin assistant.

The name of the band is an acronym of the phrase ‘Music is the soul of the universe’ that James and Holly have tattooed on their forearms.

James said: “We both just believe in that quote so much and we really like it, so we went and got matching ones on our arms. Jimmy hasn’t got one yet although he said we would get it when we get signed to a record label.”

The quirky band admitted their doubts about going on such a popular and mainstream format.

James said: “Doing The X Factor was definitely not the route we were going to take but we have been together as a band for two years and we are always having doors closed so we need someone to open one for us.

“We all work really hard and we just needed an opportunity and a break.

“We all thought that The X Factor would do that for us.

“This year there is high level of competition, but we are different, we will bring something different to the show.”

Follow their progress at www.harrowobserver.co.uk/xfactor or on Twitter at @HarrowObserver.