X Factor finalists given Hope

Updated 21.46 Sun Oct 07 2007

Keywords: X Factor, Sharon Osbourne, Rhydian Roberts, Simon Cowell, Hope

Girl band Hope are among the favourites to win the X Factor after the finalists were whittled down to 12.

The five-piece group were put together from a group of rejected auditionees and will be mentored by Simon Cowell, along with boy band Futureproof and brother/sister act Same Difference.

The five-piece group were put together from a group of rejected auditionees and will be mentored by Simon Cowell

Another favourite to win is Andy Williams, 22, who works for an asbestos removal company. He is one of three to make it into the 14-24 boys' group, mentored by Dannii Minogue.

The other two finalists in the group are 18-year-old Leon Jackson and Rhydian Roberts, who viewers seem to either love or hate.

He was the reason judge Sharon Osbourne threw a tantrum after making it through to Bootcamp.

She yelled: "I want to throw things at him, he's revolting."

Rhydian said: "Wouldn't it be amazing to use my God-given talent to sing around the world, have number one albums and singles and on the back of that to be knighted and meet the Queen? These are the kind of dreams I'm filled with."

The three girls from the 14-24 group are Alisha Bennett, Kimberley Southwick, who Cowell has branded "the most annoying X Factor contestant ever" and Emily Nakanda.

The last group are the 25 and overs, led by Louis Walsh. They comprise of Beverley Trotman, Niki Evans and Daniel De Bourg.

Niki tugged at viewers' heartstrings after discovering an application form for the show in her dad's belongings after he died.