But despite coming second in the UK Karaoke Championship Final, Kenny Ashton, 25, has vowed to never give up on making it as a singer.

If he had been successful in the winner-takes-all competition he would be jetting off to Finland at the end of the month for the world championships.

Instead Kenny, of Dixon Rise, Horden, is going back to his Garlands call centre job in Hartlepool and waiting for his next big chance.

The dad-of-two said: "I left with nothing but it was a brilliant experience and I had a lot of fun.

"I was quite confident and it went really well but these things happen, the guy was an opera singer so it depends what the judges are looking for.

"It hasn't knocked me back too much because there's always next year and there's always other competitions and chances.

"I'll never give up."

Kenny sang the hit ballad (Everything I Do) I Do It for You by Canadian rocker Bryan Adams during Sunday's competition at the Hempel Hotel, in London.

is performance saw him come second out of 20 competitors from across the country with opera singer Antonio Garcia coming out on top.

As well as working at Garlands, Kenny also performs with Callum Kay, 35, doing karaoke evenings with CK Entertainment.

Callum, from Roseby Road, Horden, said: "Kenny is very talented and I'm sure he will bounce back even stronger. I don't think anything would get in his way."

Kenny has been relentless in his bid to become a world-class singer and has had numerous auditions for shows such as ITV's X Factor, where he has reached the boot-camp stage.

He has just been shortlisted for Sky One's Don't Forget the Lyrics, where he hopes to get the chance to sing along with the show's host Shane Richie.

Kenny has also been in a production of Grease at Darlington Civic Theatre and studied performing arts at New College Durham.