A NORTH-EAST teenager has reached the regional finals of a national singing competition.

Budding pop star Oli Patterson, from Darlington, is hoping to win the TeenStar competition – the UK’s only singing competition specifically for teens and pre-teens.

Previous winners of the contest include X Factor star Luke Friend and musician Birdy.

On Saturday, March 22, 18-year-old Oli will travel to Newcastle to take part in a live head-to-head singing battle in front of an audience of hundreds.

He will perform in front of judges picked from the music industry in a bid to win a place in the national finals, taking place in London later this year.