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Diva Mariah hails 'star quality' of Eoghan Quigg

By Emily Moulton
Monday, 10 November 2008

Laura White gets boot from X Factor

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Grammy Award winning diva Mariah Carey believes Northern Ireland’s X Factor hopeful Eoghan Quigg has ‘star quality’.

The teenager from Dungiven still remains in contention for the competition after he pulled off yet another stunning performance on Saturday night.

Eoghan impressed not only the judges on the night but he also managed to impress the soulful diva during rehearsals.

Millions of viewers tuned in to the ITV programme at the weekend where the American singer-songwriter, who has had 18 number one singles in the US charts, said she thought the 16-year-old lad from Dungiven was “really sweet” and “really cute” and that she did not believe he had a small voice.

Instead the diva told viewers she thought his voice had “a star quality to it”.

She said: “My view on Eoghan is that he doesn’t have a small voice, he has got this tone that’s like a star quality to it, that’s what I sense.”

Eoghan defied judge Louis Walsh’s concerns that he might struggle on the night.

All the contestants had to perform a Mariah Carey song moments after the pop diva opened the show.

However our Eoghan conquered the challenge by singing a wonderful version of Anytime You Need a Friend.

Earlier, the 16-year-old said he was dedicating the song to his new “baby sister”.

Eoghan’s mother Denise gave birth to the little girl on Thursday night.

Moments before his performance, a clip was broadcast which showed an emotional Eoghan telling his “mummy” that he missed them and that he could not believe he had a new sister.

It also showed an ecstatic Eoghan overwhelmed by his new found success after the charity single the contestants recorded to raise money for British soldiers, Hero, went to number one.

He said: “I actually can’t believe I have a number one. It’s amazing. That’s what I have dreamed of as a young boy”.

Yesterday, on Remembrance Sunday, the single remained in the top spot for the second week in a row. The track, recorded in support of the Help For Heroes and the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, sold 189,600 copies last week, bringing the total sold to date to 502,844 copies.