Telly talent show rejects fight on in quest for stardom

But now singing double act Zedd and Saffire have been given the perfect opportunity to change the music mogul's mind after securing an audition on this year's X Factor.

Although it's not yet been confirmed if Cowell will be a judge on the new series, Zedd and Saffire - whose real names are Craig, 41, and Debborah Stephens, 46 - are hoping he will take his usual place on the judging panel so they can come face to face with him once more.

The couple, who live in Portobello, said they impressed the programme's producers with their version of Annie Lennox's Sweet Dreams and a performance of their own track, Gimme Something, during three auditions at the SECC in Glasgow last week.

They will return for a final audition in June when they will face the X Factor judges. If they are successful, they will progress to the boot camp stage.

Craig said: "The auditions went fantastic and the producers were very positive. I did raps during both songs. The first audition was in front of X Factor producers, and one of Simon Cowell's music producers was at the side. They said it was a 'yes' and told us to come back the next day.

"The next day they got us on the floor dancing - I did a robot dance and Saffire did disco dancing - and then we found out there were another two auditions."

After singing the same tracks to producers at the following two auditions, including a third song - Adele's Make You Feel My Love - at the third audition, the couple were told they had secured an audition in front of the judges themselves.

"We are over the moon. I felt like crying," said Craig.

"I have not got a clue who the judges are this year. We asked the producers but they wouldn't tell us.

"It would be great for Simon to see us again - we look forward to the challenge."

He added: "We have been told by a lot of the producers that our voices are a hell of a lot stronger than before."

Although the couple, who are married and have two children, haven't decided what they will sing for the judges, Craig said Sweet Dreams was a possibility.

The couple - who have never auditioned for the X Factor before - have even renamed themselves Saffire X. Craig said their former stage name Othelio was aimed more at dance music.

He said: "It's different music that we will be doing. In the X Factor, it's ballads, rock, pop - whatever they ask you to do.

"We are very versatile at singing all sorts of different things, but with Othelio it was more dance music."

Othelio released their first single, Head Confused, which is about their time on Britain's Got Talent, last summer.

Craig added: "We just want to be on the show and succeed, and win the X Factor. We are going to constantly rehearse.

"We want to do this for Edinburgh."