EXCITED pupils from a North-East school will have an extra-special reason to watch Pop Idol's Zoe Birkett on TV tonight.

Youngsters at Darlington's Carmel RC Technology College will be glued to their sets in the hope of catching a glimpse of themselves on the big screen.

Camera crews took Zoe back to school this week to film a sequence for tonight's performance, and her friends were only too happy to be filmed alongside her.

And the 16-year-old was reduced to tears when headteacher James O'Neill asked her to sing at a special assembly.

The sixth form student received a standing ovation from pupils after performing If I Loved You, from Carousel.

Zoe is unlikely to go back to the classroom after she revealed that she has received a number of offers from record companies.

Tonight, she will go head to head with the five other contestants as they battle it out for a major recording deal with RCA.

Each week, contestants are given a different theme, including singing Christmas tunes and songs from the movies.

Tonight's performance will see them singing their favourite Abba hit - but the one Zoe has chosen was kept top secret.

Bookies Coral have placed the teenager as 8-1 to win the show, with Will Young as the firm favourite with odds of 4-6.

Zoe has been overwhelmed by the number of people backing her. She said: "I would like to thank everyone in Darlington for giving me so much support.

"This has been the most amazing few weeks. I am loving every minute of it."

The Northern Echo has been backing Zoe to win. However, readers wanting to make her a star have been calling the paper with complaints that they are unable to get through to the hotline number to vote for her.

Pop Idol bosses denied the phone polling system was shambolic and claimed North-East viewers did not know how to cast their votes properly.