X Factor judge Cheryl Cole was moved to tears after an emotional performance by a former contestant.

Cheryl told Alexandra Burke: 'You were born to sing.'

Alexandra was devastated when she failed to make the grade aged 16.

But three years on, she has returned to show to become one of the favourites to take the title.

The 19 year-old first auditioned before judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne in 2005.

Emotional display: Cheryl Cole is reduced to tears after a powerful performance on the X Factor

The North London teenager immediately passed through the audition and boot camp rounds to make it through t the final 21 singers.

But despite flying her to his home in Ireland with the Under 25 group hopefuls, Miss Burke was rejected by Louis Walsh.

Shayne Ward, who was competing in the same age group, went on to win the X Factor title and record deal.

Undeterred the aspiring singer's second first round audition was screened on Saturday night.

Determined: Alexandra Burke was rejected by X Factor when she first auditioned in 2005. She is now the favourite to win

She sang Whitney Houston's song Saving All My Love For You - the very same song she sang during the audition three years earlier.

She told the judges: 'I want this so badly. I’ve learnt a lot in the last three years and I’ve grown up as a person.'

Louis Walsh, who rejected her efforts once before, described her rendition as 'world class'.

Mr Walsh decided not to put Miss Burke through the competition in 2005 on the grounds that she was too inexperienced.

He said then: 'For her age, Alexandra has one of the best voices I've heard in a long time, absolutely amazing.

'She sang a Whitney Houston song, which she made her own, and few people can sing Whitney. I think she needs time to mature and learn the business more.'

Miss Burke has a reputation for speaking her mind and was forthright about her demise in the 2005 competition which she blamed on the judges' bias against her age.

She told GMTV: 'I was really shocked when I got back in the room and realised all the 16 year-olds got kicked out.

'I just felt it should not have been open to  16-year-olds if they were all going to get kicked out.'

The Islington singer is inspired by her mother who was a singer in 1980s group Soul II Soul.

In 2005 she cited her main motivation as being her grandfather who had died the year before from cancer.

She said: 'I am really doing this for him. I want to make him happy and still have a laugh while he's up there.

'My voice is very soulful. I believe it is very mature for my age. I've made people cry, obviously not intentionally, but it felt good.'

Meanwhile, Simon Cowell has claimed that X Factor will crack down on contestants who rely on hard luck stories to win votes from viewers.

He said: 'We are attempting to move away from focusing too much on the sob stories.
'This year it's all about trying to go back to raw talent.

'The stories got out of hand and people were starting not to believe them. It had got to the stage that people were trying harder to gain sympathy than to get praise for their singing.'

Fellow judge Louis Walsh agreed. Earlier this year he said: 'There was far too much crying. This is supposed to be a talent show - not Jeremy Kyle.'

Nonetheless one of the most high-profile contestants in the competition so far is former heroin addict and mother of five, Rachel Hylton, 26.

Miss Hylton, who has served two jail sentences, impressed the judges with her version of Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good.

Cowell remarked: 'There are not enough people in this country who are given second chances — and I want to give this girl a second chance.'

Second chance: Former heroin addict Rachel Hylton has also impressed X Factor judges