A teenager has said she “cannot believe” reaching the final of a national singing competition after only auditioning “as an experience”.

On July 25 Georgia Crandon, 19, will perform in front of crowds and music executive judges at the NEC stadium in Birmingham.

The singer and pianist from Ripley View in Loughton will be performing as part of the national final of the TeenStar competition, which aims to find the best young musical talent.

Miss Crandon auditioned for the competition after she was talent spotted for the X Factor last year but was unable to enter the television contest as she was abroad at the time.

She said: “I cannot quite believe it, I only really auditioned for it as an experience, I was not really expecting anything.

“There were lots of people there, I was outside and it was raining, and I thought ‘I just want to go home’.

“But then I got through, got through to the next round and now the final.

“It is mad.”

She added: “It has completely changed me in life, because I never really believed I could do this, it has really changed my opinion on it.

“Other people believe in me, it is surreal.”

Ahead of the final, she says she has been practicing her piano in her family home “every day, all the time”, but her musical ambitions began with the guitar after she was taught by her father Ivor.

She said: “My Dad used to play guitar, he was always playing it round the house and he taught me a couple of songs, and then it was what I love doing.

“It is a real thing I have got with my Dad.”

Speaking about her success, Mr Crandon said: “I cannot believe it, I feel so proud of her, especially in the last round.

“She sang an Otis Redding song and there were probably about 500 or 600 people, and it was just overwhelming.

“The reception she got was fantastic, we are absolutely over the moon for her.”

Miss Crandon is also starting a musical theatre course in September, and she says that it is the audience reaction that drives her to perform.

She said: “That is the whole reason, it is just having that moment on stage when it is just you and the audience, it is a feeling like nothing else – being able to cheer someone up or have them look at you like you are amazing.”