ONE lucky reader of The Northern Echo was given the chance to get close to pop idol Darius last night.

Michelle Caley's dreams came true when she spent half-an-hour with the star before he performed an exclusive concert for about 350 people.

The 26-year-old, from Stokesley, North Yorkshire, was taken backstage along with a small group of others to meet the Pop Idol runner-up as part of a joint competition between The Northern Echo and radio station Magic 1170.

Michelle was lost for words after waiting all day in anticipation to meet her idol.

She said: "I just did not know what to say. Since I found out I had won The Northern Echo competition, I had all these things I wanted to say, but when it came down to it I was speechless. He's just absolutely lush."

Earlier in the day, star-struck fans had waited for hours outside the radio station, in Stockton, hoping to catch a brief glimpse of Darius as he arrived to help present a charity auction and to announce the £2,000 prize-winner of the Magic and Northern Echo competition.

Marie Fleming, 19, of Redcar, who had been waiting since 7.30am to meet him, said: "I think he is fantastic and it was worth the wait."

For two weeks, The Northern Echo gave readers the chance to win a share of £5,000 and tickets to an exclusive "Up Close and Personal" performance by Darius, courtesy of Magic.

Every day for the two weeks the station played that day's Magic Song, which was published in the Echo, and asked people to contact the station when they heard it.

From the callers, 12 winners were picked to go to last night's concert, at The Baltic, in Gateshead.

Readers were also asked to collect each day's Magic Song token, with the chance of winning £2,000. The winner, Rachel Frank, 16, of Thirsk, North Yorkshire, was announced live on air yesterday by Darius.

He said: "It is phenomenal. I have never seen so many competition entries before. It is nice that people have taken the time to take part."