Friends of Bristol student Katie Lewis screamed with delight whenthey heard she has been chosen from 12,000 hopefuls to star BBCtalent series Fame Academy.
The 18-year-old from Bedminster is one of 11 young people to bepicked for the fly-on-the-wall show.
The contestants will live together in a North London mansion andwork long hours being groomed for stardom.
The overall winner will get a GBP1 million recording deal and aluxury London home, but the contestants risk being evicted if they donot make the grade.
Katie has been taking regular acting, singing and dancing classesat Starlight Dance and Theatre Company in Windmill Hill, Bristol,for the past year.
Moira Aldred is principal of the stage school and her step-motherHeather Aldred helps out. Both women know Katie well.
Heather said: "We were absolutely thrilled when we found out aboutKatie being on Fame Academy. Her mum called us with the good newsafter it was officially announced on Monday.
"Katie is one of the two eldest we have and the young kidsabsolutely love her. They idolise her and she's so supportive ofthem, they look up to her.
"When they found out she had been chosen for Fame Academy theywere all screaming and I was in tears." With Starlight, Katie took tothe stage in the heart of London's theatreland in Drury Lane andperformed Night Fever and Chim Chim Choree from Mary Poppins. She hasalso performed in variety shows.
Heather said: "We knew she'd make it - it was just a matter oftime.
"Whatever happens on the show, Katie is made now. We'll all beglued to the television on Friday night." Katie last attended a classat Starlight in Bristol a few weeks ago.
Heather said: "Her main strength is singing. She has a voice tokill for - it's beautiful. She's classically trained so she can hitall the high notes while singing songs like Pie Jesu.
"As well as being talented, Katie is also a lovely girl, a verydown-to-earth genuine person, extremely friendly." The Fame Academyline-up was a closely-guarded secret until it was officiallyannounced on Monday.
Many of Bristol's Starlight performers went to London last weekendto audition on a cabaret boat.
Her fellow performers were told that Katie could not make itbecause she was ill - but they did not realise the real reason shecould not attend was because she had been chosen for Fame Academy andthe show's producers were keeping the contestants hidden.
Heather last spoke to Katie on Friday.
"Of course, now we know the real reason why she couldn't make it," said Heather.
"We have three Kates, so to distinguish between them Katie Lewisis known as Opera Kate because of her classically trained voice."Katie is currently in hiding, as are all of the other contestants,until the first show of the series is screened on Friday.
She lives in Bristol with her parents and has a BTec in PerformingArts but has had to drop out of college to film Fame Academy, whichruns until December.
A 12th contestant will be given his or her big break by thepublic, who will see hopefuls put through their paces at a liveaudition when the show kicks off on Friday.
The contestants will have to spend 24 hours a day together in aGBP35 million north London mansion where tutors will hone theirstage skills.
But those who the teachers feel are not making the grade will beput on 'probation' and the public and fellow contestants will decidewho stays and who gets evicted.
12,000 music wannabes sent in tapes or attended auditions when thecompetition was launched in July.
Unlike TV talent shows such as Fame Academy is one of seriousmusicians rather than pure pop hopefuls.
Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty will host BBC1's Friday nightprimetime shows, which begin at 8.30pm this week.
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