X-Factor family are 'neighbours from hell'

1:56pm Friday 28th September 2007

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AN X-FACTOR contestant and her parents who were slammed by Simon Cowell have been dubbed neigh-bours from hell.

Emma Chawner, 17, and her family, of Lancaster Avenue, Ramsbottom, could lose their home because of complaints about noise and abusive behaviour, it has been revealed.

Neighbours have complained about alleged late night karaoke sessions, noisy argu-ments, abusive language and insults since the Chawner family moved in four years ago.

On August 20, housing chiefs took the family to court and secured a postponed possession order, which means the Chawners could be ordered out of their council house if neighbours complain again within the next two years.

A spokesman for landlord Six Town Housing said: "The Anti-Social Behaviour team is investigating."

Emma appeared on television on Saturday in the final auditions for ITV talent competition X Factor.

She wore a dress made by her dad and sang Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On.

Judge Simon Cowell told her: "That dress is completely wrong and then you sang out of tune and it sounded like a baby."

Parents Audrey and Phillip, and sister Samantha, walked in to confront the judges but Cowell cut them down, blaming them for getting Emma's hopes up.

He told them: "You've got to take a good look at yourselves. You are the reason this girl is disappointed and I have to blame you guys for encouraging her to believe she's going to do well when she obviously isn't."

When Phillip argued that Emma had won awards for singing, Cowell replied: "People who've won a rosette in a donkey derby don't go on to win the Grand National. She cannot sing."

In an online blog, fellow judge Dannii Minogue referred to Emma as "Babyzilla" and said her dress "gave her the appearance of an iceberg" as she sang the song from the film Titanic.

But dad Philip attacked the makers of X Factor this week. He said that producers raised Emma's hopes by letting her through four non-televised auditions, only to "humiliate" her on television. But a neigh-bour shared acid-tongued Cowell's opinion that Audrey and Phillip had only themselves to blame.

One neighbour said: "I feel a little bit sorry for Emma, but the family only have themselves to blame for deluding themselves. I can't believe they went through with it.

"It's obvious to anyone who has heard her karaoke at 3am that she can't sing."