Diana VickersX Factor contestant Diana Vickers has said she sometimes regrets entering the competition even though she’s down to the final five.

Diana has won repeated praise for her singing voice throughout the show so far - but attracted controversy earlier this month after she was excused from singing one week because of laryngitis despite being shown screaming and cheering at a bonfire night party a few days earlier.

She explained this week that the accusations drove home to her the reality of life in the limelight: “It is hard. Sometimes I do think ‘I’m 17 and there’s so much pressure on me anyway growing up’.

“Now I’m growing up in the public eye and something bad will be said about me and I think “Why did I do this?”

“But that will last for literally five minutes and I get over it. Then I’m on stage on the Saturday night and all this amazing stuff happens and everything is worth it.”

Diana, who is being mentored by Cheryl Cole, will sing ‘I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman’ on the Britney Spears-themed show this evening.