HAVING gotten as far as Judges' Houses on X Factor, Giles Potter has spent the last year touring the country for gigs and building a loyal fanbase.

The hard work has paid off and Giles, from Norton, Worcester, is now part of new boyband StateSide alongside Paul Gascoigne's son Regan.

Also making up the band are 17-year-old Justin Fehler, from Edmonds, Washington, United States, Joseph Mcveigh, from Eglish, Ireland and Jack Bruley, from Essex.

And with the new series of X Factor starting in a few weeks, the boys will no doubt be tough competition for the show's biggest act - One Direction.

According to their Twitter page @OfficialState, StateSide has been busy in rehearsals in Cambridge and were due to travel to Liverpool together.

Bianca Gascoigne, Gazza's stepdaughter, has been busy rallying support for the new band tweeting: "I can't control my excitement I am so proud @ReganGascoigne has just been signed to @OfficialState!!

"Massive things to come watch out world".

Giles was just 16 when he entered X Factor and after shining on his first audition with his rendition of Jessie J's Price Tag.

But he spent a rollercoaster few weeks on the show, forgetting the words to Jackie Wilson's Reet Petite prompting some backstage advice from Gary Barlow before impressing once again with his boot camp performance of Jason Mraz's I Won't Give Up.

However, Louis Walsh decided not to take the former Pershore High School pupil to the live shows.

Travelling back home to break the news to his family, he said: "To be so close to something and for it to be out of reach just makes you so upset."

To follow the band's progress, follow @OfficialState on Twitter.