GAMU Nhengu nursed an X-Factor dream for two years but could not go on the show after being BANNED by her mum who told her to prioritiseher studies , it has been revealed.

But after watching her 18-year-old daughter breeze through the auditions with a rendition of Walking on Sunshine to rave reviews in the British media, mum Nokuthula Nagzana has revealed she has made a pact with Gamu to delay going to university “and see how far she can do”.

“She’s wanted to do the X-Factor two years ago and I insisted that she finished off high school,” her mum revealed during a joint appearance on ITV’s This Morning on Monday. “I have given her a chance to take a gap year and see how far she can do and if she loves this and enjoys this. It’s her life and as a parent I’m just there to guide her.”

Gamu, who filmed the audition broadcast to an audience of 12,6 million people last Saturday in June, also revealed she was so nervous about watching herself that she covered her ears and eyes when she popped up on TV.

"I was watching at home and I was so, so nervous,” she said. "I spent the whole day trying to block it out and also trying to remember as well and when it was time to start watching it, I was covering my eyes!

"I didn't want to watch it. But after it played I was asking everybody 'how was it, tell me the bad bits, tell me the good bits' and they told me everything so I mentally prepared myself to finally watch it.”

Since the show, bookies have given her odds of 14/1 to win the contest and her audition clip has been watched 220,000 times on YouTube.