Leona friend re-auditions for 'X Factor'

Leona Lewis's friend Duane Lamonte has returned for a second attempt at winning The X Factor.

Lamonte will appear at the audition stages for the second year in a row, after being dismissed at the Boot Camp stage in 2008.

The R&B singer, 24, was described as a "good old fashioned Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder type of singer" by Simon Cowell 12 months ago, but he still failed to make the live finals.

"He is desperate to hit the big time like his pal Leona, so he bit the bullet and gave it a second try," a show source told The Sun.

"Of course it's embarrassing to have to come back on the show with your tail between your legs, but Duane is pretty thick-skinned. He knows that he was unlucky last time and that he could so easily have gone further. He's going to give it another go and if it doesn't work well at least he tried."

The X Factor returns to ITV1 on Saturday.