Stars hope to shine the brightest

FOURTEEN acts will be fighting it out for first place in this year's Search for a Star final this weekend.

More than 70 people entered the competition, now in its 27th year, which is run by the Fry Club in Keynsham and the Post.

On Sunday, the winner will pick up £1,000 in prize money as well as a day recording at Bristol's Access to Music studios.

Each of the finalists are now fine tuning their acts as they gear up for the showdown.

Most of the other finalists are singers but Mitchell Hodges, 16, from Whitchurch, is an Irish dancer.

He will be performing a traditional and a more up-beat piece.

Singer Sarah Walklett, 25, a shop assistant from Sea Mills, will be performing Too Close by Alex Clare and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston.

Fifteen-year-old Grace Martinson, from Portishead who is studying drama at Gordano School, hopes to impress the judges with her rendition of Last Name by Carrie Underwood and Broadway classic The Girl in 14G.

Rose Eastment, 16, from Yate, will be performing Out Here On My Own by Irene Cara and Bound To You by Christina Aguilera.

Sarah Lane, 17, who lives in Knowle, has not yet decided which songs she will perform, but Heaven by Emeli Sande and Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis are in contention.

Childhood friends Matthew Bromwich and Mark Smith, both 18, from Keynsham, will perform Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel and an acoustic version of Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N'Roses. The teenagers will sing with Matthew playing guitar and Mark playing keyboard and an electric violin.

Couple Becki Leigh-Smith, 30, and Jake Wright, 22, also from Keynsham, are another duo. Becki, a dance teacher and recruitment consultant, will be singing while Jake, a guitar teacher, will be harmonising and playing the guitar. The couple have practised a variety of songs and will select their chosen two on the day.

Helen James, who lives in Downend, has a couple of songs in mind for the final.

"I love competitions and enjoy taking part - I don't mind if I don't win, it would be nice though," said the 16-year-old.

Also undecided on her performance pieces is Kristen White, 15, from Bradley Stoke.

First timer to the Search for a Star competition Daniel Waring, from Little Stoke, will perform under the name Daniel Kacey.

Daniel will be singing but is undecided on what he will perform.

Chelsea Saroe, who lives in Lockleaze, said the final may be her last time entering the competition as she is due to move to Cornwall to study at Truro College. Chelsea, 19, who is suffering from tonsillitis, is hopeful she will be well in time.

Martin Williamson, 35, from Clifton, will be performing two Noël Coward numbers.

Playing his guitar and singing, Jono Howie, 22, from Patchway, will be performing A Team by Ed Sheeran and Kaleidoscope by Joe Brooks.

Also hoping to impress with his voice is Shaun Steer, 25, a singer from Frampton Cotterell . Mr Steer said: "I have entered Search for a Star in the past but had a break from it for the last few years. "For some reason I always end up coming back to music – I love it."