Rachel Hylton - Her past

Up to ten million viewers watched feisty Rachel, 26, sing a pitchperfect version of Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good, with judge Simon Cowell telling her: "I love you, you're fantastic, a breath of fresh air, my favourite audition." Now she is on the verge of stardom as a favourite to win ITV1's new talent show series. But her path to the top has been deeply troubled.

The mother of five had a tormented childhood, growing up without her father Allan. At 12 she ran away from home and put herself into care. By 13 she was a drug addict and a single mother.
Eight years ago she appeared at a London court for attacking a woman in the street. She was given 60 hours community service and 18 months probation. Four months later she burgled a house in Hackney, East London, to get money for drugs. Back in court again, she was jailed for 18 months.

Her drug use had spiralled out of control in her teens and she went on to have four more children - all by different dads. Social workers were so appalled by her drug use and violent boyfriends that her three oldest children - two sons, now aged 13 and nine, and a daughter, seven - were taken into care. Londoner Rachel finally vowed to clean up her life and went into rehab after her release from prison in 2002.

Now a devout churchgoer, she has been drug-free for six years and lives in Stanmore, North West London, with her two youngest children, son Tishon, six, and daughter Tashanee, four. She suffered heartbreak when her dad left her mum Sharon to return to his ex-partner Valerie Lynch.

Then Allan and Valerie's 10-month-old twins Allan and Amelia died in a house fire in North London in 1990 when Rachel was eight. A pal of Rachel's said: "She is sorry for the attack and the burglary. She knows she can't turn back the clock and erase the hurt. But she is a totally different person. The old Rachel has gone forever." A show insider said: "She has been through hell but has won her life back.