Chloe hoping to wow on Britain's Got Talent

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P--9bwGan_U

Singing schoolgirl Chloe Hickinbottom will be hoping to do the Black Country proud when she steps into the spotlight in the semi-finals of Britain's Got Talent tonight.

The 10-year-old from Walsall has already become a hit on YouTube where the video of her audition singing Dame Vera Lynn's (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover has been watched 1.6million times.

And she has been made one of the favourites to win the show by bookies, with odds of 7-1.

The pupil at St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in Coalpool will be up against acts, including Walsall pensioner Jimmy 'The Dancer' Ford.

The 75-year-old from Park Road, Park Hall, enjoyed the luck of the Irish at the talent show auditions, where the bachelor dressed as a leprechaun and performed a jig.

He hit it off with judges Amanda Holden and Louis Walsh, while cracking jokes with presenters Ant and Dec.

Others vying for a spot in the finals tonight will be The Arrangement, a music group from Cambridge, street dance act Peridot, impressionist Paul Burling and 28-year-old accountant and singer Christopher Stone.

One performer will gain an automatic spot in the final when they secure the most votes from the viewing public. Judges Piers Morgan, Amanda Holden and Simon Cowell will then select their favourite act between the two closest runner-ups.

Each night this week, the 40 semi-finalists are being whittled down in live shows until the remaining 10 battle it out in Saturday's final for a chance to appear at the Royal Variety Performance. The two acts which get through will join boy band Connected, dog dance act Tina and Chandi, gymnastic troupe Spellbound and street dancer Tobias Mead in the final on Saturday.

In last night's show a singing doorman and a dancer from the Black Country had their dreams dashed in the Britain's Got Talent semi-finals.

Neil Fullard, of Wednesbury, and Halesowen's Louise Davies, aged 24, took to the stage in front of millions on ITV yesterday evening.

Louise, a former Leasowes Community College pupil, was part of dance group The Ruby Girls who failed to win enough public votes.

It was the 42-year-old bouncer, who works at WS1 nightclub in Walsall, who got furthest making it through to the nail-biting judge's vote-off. But with both Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell choosing boy band Connected, Neil narrowly missed out.