Battle begins in ratings war

Television's Oxo mum versus a blonde burlesque bombshell from Staffordshire. Or rather Strictly Come Dancing versus the X Factor.

Tonight the two smash hit reality shows go head to head, dividing the nation and leaving families fighting for the remote control.

Viewers will be split into Team Strictly or Team X Factor - or alternatively left to find a second television in the house.

In the Strictly corner, viewers will be battling to watch the likes of Loose Woman presenter and TV's Oxo advert mother Lynda Bellingham. The actress made her dancing debut last night and it seems she is most likely to be this year's John Sergeant as the audience reserved the biggest cheer for the 60-year-old.

She is vowing to bring some "comedy" to the series.

Over in the X Factor camp, there are a group of wannabe stars - including raunchy Faye Bray, a teacher at Brinsford Young Offenders Institution at Featherstone.

By day she dresses in a sober matronly style at the male only prison. But the 28-year-old from Cannock Chase will shock viewers on the X Factor tonight by shedding her dowdy work image and vamping up in burlesque style stockings, suspenders and corset.

Blonde haired Faye caught the eye of judge Simon Cowell with her revealing outfit and confessed that she was desperate for fame.

The music mogul told her she looked 'cute' as she arrived on stage but was stunned when she confessed to teaching at Brinsford.