Free Crystal by Katie Price Page A

reveal a tight white vest and some pretty impressive pecs which had added to the audience’s appreciation.
    ‘They’re
so
going to win,’ Tahlia said gloomily.
    ‘Don’t be so sure,’ Crystal answered, ‘They were flat and I reckon they’re getting too cocky for their own good.’
    Dallas was the first judge to comment and as usual he wasn’t one to tread softly. ‘Tyler, you know I think you’re a nice enough guy but that wasn’t up to scratch, was it? You were flat in at least five places. I think you’re losing it; maybeit’s time to go back to your day job.’ (Rough-diamond Tyler had worked as a scaffolder, hence the pecs and abs that all the girls, and Sadie, lusted after.)
    From beside him their mentor Sadie exploded. ‘Absolute rubbish, Dallas! They were all perfect, especially Tyler.’ She appealed to the audience, who cheered along with her and booed Dallas. Northern Dreams were her babies and she was fiercely protective of them. Dallas shrugged dismissively and said, ‘Letting his pecs influence your judgement, Sadie?’
    Sadie was clearly about to let rip, but Tess, the bubbly red-haired presenter, obviously wanted to move things on. She managed to cut across Sadie and ask Charlie for her comments. During the show she was generally the good cop to Dallas’s bad and usually never had an unkind word to say about any of the acts unless they were one of Dallas’s. She was full of enthusiasm for the boy band: ‘Boys, I predict you’re all going to be stars.’ The boys blew kisses at her and Tyler shot her a very sultry look that made Crystal think that maybe there was something more to their relationship.
    ‘Bollocks!’ Belle shouted at the television. ‘They’re going to be a one-hit wonder!’
    Crystal wasn’t quite so sure. Good as she knew Lost Angels were, it was going to be hard to get Sadie to admit it and she knew how the audience could be swayed by her opinion. Dallas was a fantastic mentor but the only problem was that he was so outspoken, it often had the effect of turning people against his acts, to spite him. Bijoux were next, delivering a rousing performance of ‘It’s Raining Men’. Crystal thought it was fine but there was nothing special about it – it didn’t have that star quality the judges were so often talking about. Cringingly flat, X & Y made little impact and then @ttitude took to the stage. It was hard to concentrate on their singing as their outfits were such an eyesore – they’d gone for the ho look again in a big way and, dressed in white, they wore tiny leather-fringed mini skirts, thigh-high boots, bikini tops, cowboy hats and full-length fake fur coats, and all of them dripped with fake bling.
    Belle was disgusted. ‘Look what the cat dragged in, it’s top of the slags.’ And then Lost Angels were told they had five minutes to go. The three girls immediately formed a circle and held hands. This ritual had started off as a total piss take of diva performers they’d seen in concert. Each of the girls had come up with their own ridiculous, over-the-top saying which they would declare in an American accent before they went on stage. Crystal’s was:
I promise to deliver my best performance tonight
,
not just for myself but for all the children in the world
; Tahlia would say:
This is my chance to change the world and I will take that chance
; and Belle always finished:
It’s not enough to sing the songs, I will feel the songs in my very soul.
But now it had become part of their pre-stage ritual, something that they
had
to do before they performed.
    ‘If we ever make it we have got to stop doing
this
,’ Crystal said afterwards, ‘otherwise we’re going to look like the twats of the century!’ Belle managed to smile but Tahlia was tight-lipped with nerves.
    Tess announced their names and they walked on stage to thunderous applause and whistles, as their music was starting up. Crystal took a deep breath and cleared her mind of everything but her