X FACTOR fans were left reeling on Sunday when North-East hopeful Shanaya Atkinson-Jones was dropped from the ITV talent contest.

In a move which shocked fellow judges, Sharon Osbourne failed to select the 19-year-old, from School Aycliffe, near Newton Aycliffe, during the Six Chair Challenge.

This means Shanaya will not progress to the judge’s houses stage of the show, despite wowing the panel at the auditions and moving Nicole Scherzinger to tears with her soulful performance of Dance with my Father.

Shanaya also touched the nation’s heart when she dedicated her performance of the Luther Vandross classic to her parents and spoke openly about her adoption.

However, Sharon told the teenager she was struggling to connect with her but after making her decision she said Shanaya would have a great future.

“It’s just not your time right now,” she said. “Good luck. Do not give up.”

Shanaya’s shock exit caused an outrage on social media, and has prompted many fans to ask whether there will be a ‘wild card’ this year.

One fan tweeted: “Stop saying to them it’s not your time Sharon. You just ruined the girls category. How could you let Shanaya go?”

Another wrote: “Honestly, I think Sharon needs to give up her seat to someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”

Shanaya, who recently performed for youngsters at Sugar Hill Primary School in Newton Aycliffe, described X Factor as being “nothing but a positive experience”.

On her twitter account she posted a thank you letter to everyone who has supported her.

“Even though my journey with X Factor may be over I can’t begin to tell you just how much I’ve learnt in these past few months both about myself and other people," she said.

"Your support has given me the confidence to know that it’s okay to be who I am and each positive post or message that I’ve received has built me up and given me the belief that I can do more.

“I find it overwhelming to know that my story in regards to my adoption has touched so many people and since my first audition aired I’ve loved speaking to many adopted families on social media who have been sharing their stories with me too.”

She added: “Thank you so much for all your comments about my singing. It makes me emotional to think that you love to hear me sing as much as I love to sing. Singing is my therapy.”

  • Shanaya has teamed up with First4Adoption to raise awareness of National Adoption Week, which takes place from October 16 to 22.