A TALENT show veteran has taken a break from the limelight to organise her own contest in aid of a charity close to her heart.

Singer Deborah Taylor-Smith, from Chilton, County Durham, has tried out for ITV’s The X-Factor five times, has reached the regional finals of Open Mic UK and already has an audition lined up for BBC One’s The Voice.

But the busy mother has taken time out to organise Aycliffe's Got Talent to raise funds for the Newton Aycliffe-based crisis intervention charity Lifeline Community Action.

Ms Taylor-Smith, 32, said: “The charity helped me when I split up with my husband. They are a wonderful group of people who do amazing work for the community.”

The contest will take place at a date and venue to be confirmed in Newton Aycliffe next month but the public can get a taste of what to expect at the semi-finals at Agnew Community Centre in the town on Saturday, June 20 from 10am to 1pm.

For £1, people can watch the semi-finalists, which include dancers, singers, gymnasts, comedians and magicians, compete for a place in the final.