Emma enjoyed X Factor finale

6:13pm Thursday 20th December 2007

WANNABE pop star Emma Chawner was throne' back on to our television screens at the weekend for the X Factor final.

The trainee hairdresser from Ramsbottom was carried on stage in a sedan chair to sing the climax of Whitney Houston's One Moment in Time with other failed contenders from the early stages of the televised singing contest.

But things did not go so smoothly during rehearsals on Saturday afternoon - the Sedan chair bearers dropped the chair with Emma in it!

The 18-year-old told the Bury Times: "The men carrying me were all covered in baby oil. The legs of the chair were metal and one of them at the back slipped as they were coming down the stairs. It was really dangerous. The chair went over backwards and I got scratches on my back. I said I wouldn't go through with it on the live programme unless the men wore talcum powder on their hands."

Saturday night's live X Factor final brought Emma, of Lancaster Avenue, face-to-face with acerbic judge Simon Cowell for the first time since he accused of singing "like a baby" during her audition for the programme.

She wore the same homemade dress that Cowell ridiculed in the doomed audition but she has since taken private singing lessons and felt confident that she could make the Sony BMG executive eat his own words.

She said: "Simon said he had been wrong about some of us and I think he meant it. I can't forgive him for what he said and for the way they treated me in the audition but this weekend made up for it."

Emma spoke to the Bury Times on her mobile as she helped dad Philip and mum Audrey with the weekly shop at Asda in Rawtenstall on Monday.

She said: "I had a great weekend. The other contestants were really nice too. Me and my dad were chatting with finalists Same Difference for ages. I'm glad I've met so many great people. We all stayed up until 2am singing in the hotel bar."

Sister Sam (20) took the phone as Emma chatted with fans in the bread aisle.

She said: "She did really fantastic. Me and mum were crying when she came on in the chair. It was wonderful. We're really proud of her."

Sam now has her own ambitions. She and Emma have both applied for Britain's Got Talent as well as for the next series of X Factor.