We've cringed as a thousand wannabes purred "Tell me about it...stud", we've endured one too many renditions of 'Hopelessly Devoted To You' and we've heard the phrase "sexy Sandy" enough for several lifetimes, but the Grease Is The Word judges have now managed to select their finalists. Read on for an introduction to the eight all-singing, all-dancing grin-flashers competing to play Sandy Drumbowski on the West End stage. Which one do you want to see in a spray-on black catsuit?

Michelle Antrobus

Who is she? A student at Mountview, the drama school where Connie Fisher learned to flash her pearly whites.
She says: “I’ve always wanted to play a role of someone that is similar to me and I think that I have a lot of Sandy qualities in me.”
We say: Plenty of stage presence, and that determined jaw suggests she’s not going to give up without a fight.


Hayley Clarke

Who is she? The 18-year-old daughter of Sinbad from Brookside.
She says: “I remember the judges saying that I have power and charisma…That made me feel a lot more comfortable and pushed me to work even harder.”
We say: Hmm. We're not sure if the chills she's supplyin' are really that electrifyin', to be honest.


Alison Crawford

Who is she? A 25-year-old waitress from Liverpool.
She says: “I’m close enough to looking like a Sandy but I want the audience to see further than that too. I want to be able to touch people in the audience with my performance.”
We say: At her audition she managed to play sexy Sandy with David Gest, so there's no question mark over her acting abilities.


Vicky Hoyles

Who is she? A beauty therapist from Melton Mowbray.
She says: “I could be the next Sandy because I can come across as a sweet, innocent girl and then transform into a sexy, feisty woman.”
We say: Behind that beaming smile she’s as tough as a reheated steak. A real contender.


Lauren McConnell

Who is she? A 16-year-old schoolgirl from Sussex.
She says: “I just went up for it as a laugh at first but now I want to win!”
We say: One to watch in the future, but she's too young to handle eight performances a week on the West End stage.

Susan McFadden

Who is she? The sister of former Westlife star Brian McFadden. We’re not holding it against her.
She says: “I feel that, because of my brother Brian, I have to prove myself that little bit more to show that I am here on my own merit.”
We say: Very talented, but can she hold her nerve?



Joanna Power

Who is she? A 22-year-old pub singer from Essex.
She says: “I guess I am going to be known as the cry baby of the show as I burst into tears so much during the nerve-wracking Bootcamp.”
We say: She's as precious as an afternoon picnic in the park with Dame Maggie Smith.


Kate Somerset-How

Who is she? A 23-year-old gym receptionist from London.
She says: “My main talent is singing – all styles from opera through to blues.”
We say: The judges are worried that she lacks the vulnerability to play Sandy. They’re not wrong – we wouldn’t want to bump into her in a dark alley at three o'clock in the morning.


Grease Is The Word continues on Saturday at 7.30pm on ITV1.