'X Factor' hopefuls turn out in their droves

Old Trafford staged an unusual fixture on Sunday when it housed one of the stops on the X Factor open audition circuit.

Some 12,000 wannabe singers piled into the 'Theatre of Dreams' in the hope that their own special dream would come true - to become this year's Shayne Ward and walk away with a £1 million recording deal.

Sony BMG executives judged the first round of singing, presenting a pass to the 'better' singers for them to return to the second heat, held Monday at the Lowry international arts centre on the Salford Quays.

At the second stage, auditionees sang in front of judges Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh.

Among the 100 or more members of the production team present were host Kate Thornton and Xtra Factor presenter Ben Shepherd, both of whom filmed links and features for their respective shows.

Kate later introduced last year's winner, Shayne Ward, who performed his latest single 'Stand By Me' and his first hit 'That's My Goal' before wishing everybody good luck with their impending auditions.

After spectating from the stadium's Directors' Suite for most of the proceedings, the judges made a brief appearance to speak with the crowd and offer some words of wisdom. Sharon - watched by daughter Kelly - exclaimed: "You guys are going to kick arse today! Thank you for being here; we love you all very much!"

After thanking the crowd for attending, Simon encouraged: "One of you could be a winner of the X Factor. Whoever wins this show will become a multi-millionaire – keep your energy up."

The first show of the new series is to broadcast mid-August, beginning with a retrospective look at the past year since Shayne's big win.