THERE might be a new crop of showbiz hopefuls battling it out in front of Simon Cowell and Co - but Shayne Ward is out to prove he's still got the X Factor where the ladies are concerned.

Jetting in to Manchester for an exclusive VIP performance, the shop assistant turned superstar drove them wild in the aisles at Selfridges Trafford - almost causing a riot among the well-heeled fashionistas when he asked for volunteers to dance with him on stage.

Ignoring his brief to just sing one song for the store's 10th birthday party, the Clayton-born celeb couldn't help getting his groove on for an encore - and dragging a gaggle of eager girls to wiggle their hips alongside him.

"I've never had this many women up on stage at the same time," he grinned with a glint in his eye.

Perhaps it was all the excitement of being back on home soil, after months spent travelling the globe to write and record his next album. Or maybe it's that exciting LA lifestyle he's been leading of late - but our home-grown heart-throb was certainly getting a bit hot under the collar when The Diary caught up with him for a cosy chat backstage.

Asked, for instance, who his favourites were on the latest series of X Factor, he seemed to have just one thing on his mind.

"Cheryl Tweedy, she's my X Factor favourite," he laughed with a wink.

Perhaps we'll have to watch this space for a reality TV marriage made in heaven.

Actually, Shayne reckons he's had little time to catch up on this latest series, what with spending all summer writing songs in Laguna Beach, Los Angeles and rubbing shoulders with Hollywood A-listers.

"I've been at a writing camp stateside - the whole campaign now is to crack America next," he says.

"It's just been crazy over there, working in the same studios as Lionel Richie and Enrique Iglesias.

"A lot of people have asked if I'm going to take up acting now I'm over there - but I'm not one of those people who would try something even if they can't do it. If I was going to do something, I'd like to do a Guy Ritchie movie, like Snatch but a Manchester version!"

However, while he's enjoying life in Tinseltown, the charmingly down-to-earth pop hunk reckons he still misses home.

"I know it sounds weird but I miss hearing people with the same accent as me," he reveals. "I miss being at home and seeing my mum. I even miss normal things like someone asking if I just want to go out for a pint."

An old pal of The Diary's since editing our page a few months ago, he even admitted to missing our newsroom. Shayne, you can always rely on us to take you to the pub next time you're in town...
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