Emilie Fleming loses bid to travel yellow brick road

The 19-year-old from Tyne and Wear became the fourth contestant to be eliminated from the BBC1 talent show.

Emilie, the public's "Wildcard" choice to become a finalist, found herself in the sing-off with fellow hopeful Sophie after the duo received the fewest viewers' votes.

The eight Dorothy finalists each performed a pop song live on Saturday night in front of the studio audience and expert panel.

Musical supremo Andrew Lloyd Webber opted to save Sophie after listening to her sing I Know Him So Well from Chess.

On hearing the announcement Emilie said: "I've got to say I want to thank my mum and dad, I wouldn't be here without them. Thanks to the public for voting me in.

"I've had an amazing experience and learnt so much. I'm going to toughen up, and I'm going to train, and you'll see me on the stage. And to the girls, I love you all."

Emilie faced some mixed comments from the panel, including Lord Lloyd Webber, Charlotte Church, Sheila Hancock and John Partridge following her rendition of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper.

Before announcing who was in the bottom two, host Graham Norton asked each panel member who "wasn't Dorothy" and they were unanimous in choosing Emilie.

Partridge said: "You really gave it some welly and attack. It was better."

Church labelled it a "fun, frivolous performance" but noted "some control issues".

She said Emilie's tone of voice was "reminiscent of 1940s singers", and "most similar to Judy Garland out of all the girls".

Praising her for taking direction, Hancock said: "This is a horrible, tough profession, where you get criticised by everyone. You've got to learn to take criticism and survive it. You did and I congratulate you for that."

Lloyd Webber agreed: "Emilie, I know you cried last week. This is a very tough profession, if you haven't got inner strength this is not the right place to be, as talented as you are.

"I think you did well with it though – it was a fun performance."