Ulster singing star Eoghan Quigg is aiming to shine in tonight’s nailbiting X Factor boot camp eliminator.

The Dungiven teenager thrilled his legions of fans after surviving not one but TWO contestant culls in the ITV talent show last night.

Judges Cheryl Cole, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh picked talented Eoghan (16) as one of their top 5O X Factor favourites.

Girls Aloud star Cheryl — who wowed audiences in a series of sexy outfits at London Fashion Week — was particularly taken with Eoghan’s rendition of Eric Clapton’s Tears In Heaven.

Said Cheryl: “I think you’re so cute. You have a really great range. Your performance was fantastic!”

The notoriously hard-to-please Cowell described Eoghan’s voice as “terrific”. Minogue labelled him “adorable” and Walsh praised him for his “star quality”.

Last night viewers saw Eoghan put in yet more polished performances during the first two rounds of boot camp.

A total of 150 acts were cut down to 75, and then to 50 last night.

Tonight viewers will find out if the sports and music mad Ulster lad will make the final 24 who progress to the Judges’ Houses stage this weekend.

Sadly, Conor McCullough’s X Factor journey ended last night as the classically trained tenor and former boyband member from Belfast did not make the final cut.

If Eoghan is selected to be part of the 24-strong line-up he could be feeling the heat, as Cowell has been tipped to mentor the boys’ 14-24 year old category. Cowell is using his sunshine home in Barbados to pick the boys who will take part in The X Factor live finals.

Eoghan’s popularity at home is bound to send X Factor viewing figures skywards — a remarkable 54pc of all people watching telly in Northern Ireland witnessed him audition last month — and 150,000 internet users also logged on to watch his first X Factor performance on YouTube.

However, the odds on Eoghan winning The X Factor 2008 have lengthened from 10/1 to 12/1. Reformed crack addict and former jailbird Rachel Hylton, a 26-year-old mum-of-five, is the bookies’ favourite with odds of 5/1.

This weekend’s Judges’ Homes editions will see 24 contestants reduced to a final 12.

The X Factor’s battle for viewers against the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing was given a ratings busting boost with the news that Britney Spears will make an appearance soon to promote her comeback single Womanizer.

l X Factor, UTV, 7pm