It was mayhem in Barkingside as Stacey Solomon and Dannii Minogue descended upon King Solomon High School with their X Factor entourage.
Pupils at the Jewish school waited outside for an hour for the X Factor finalist, who left the school three years ago.
Clutching homemade banners, the students screamed and shouted: “We love you Stacey” as the Dagenham diva made her way up the steps of the school, to be greeted by head teacher Spencer Lewis.
Inside, posters adorned the walls saying ‘Vote Stacey’.
Once in the school hall, X Factor mentor Dannii Minogue introduced Stacey, and urged the crowd of excited pupils to vote for her on Saturday night.
Brother Matthew Solomon, currently in King Solomon’s Year 13, sat in the front row watching his sister next to Dannii and Mr Lewis.
Finally, Stacey herself took to the stage, giggling and pointing at old schoolteachers. She treated the audience to a rendition of West Side Story’s ‘Somewhere’ which she sang on the live show last week.
Fluffing her words, Stacey couldn’t stop smiling as familiar faces around the room at the school distracted her.
“Hopefully the next one will be easier!” she said, as she finished the song to cheering from the crowd.
She sang two more songs, her X Factor audition piece “What a Wonderful World” and “Somewhere over the Rainbow” from the Wizard of Oz.
Backstage, some pupils had the chance to talk to Stacey, asking her about her chances at the X Factor final on Saturday night, where she is up against singers Olly Murs and Joe McElderry. She then posed for photos with students, staff and some enthusiastic local police officers.
At the final, Stacey will sing a solo but is also rumoured to be performing a duet with Canadian singer Michael Buble.
