SCHOOLBOY Billy Phillips is heading for a national TV grand final after he sang his heart out and won the latest heat of a top Saturday night talent show.

Fourteen-year-old Billy won the most votes from the audience at the sixth heat of the kids' version of ITV1's Stars In Their Eyes after he wowed them with his rendition of Eric Clapton's classic ballad Tears In Heaven.

Billy, of Vespasian Gardens, Rooksdown, will now perform in the show's live grand final on May 15.

As reported exclusively in The Gazette on Friday, Billy's participation in the programme has been tinged with poignancy because his mum, Jackie, applied for him to go on to the show just before she fell terminally ill with bowel cancer.

Tears In Heaven was also her favourite song, and Billy's version was played at her funeral last August.

Speaking about his TV performance, Billy said: "I don't know where it came from. I was very pleased - I really sang out of my skin.

"The rehearsal was really nerve-racking, but on the show, I felt good. I really enjoyed it. I'm now looking forward to the final and will be putting in lots of practice."

Billy, a Year 9 pupil at Fort Hill Community School in Winklebury, said he didn't recognise himself when he was transformed into guitar legend Clapton.

He was pitted against four other contestants on the show. These included young singers impersonating Celine Dion, Deborah Harry and Kylie Minogue.

"They were all very good," said Billy. "Some of them are professional singers, so I was very pleased and surprised to win.

"There was a 15 second delay before they announced the winner, but it felt like five minutes. I didn't know how to react when my name was called out."

Billy discovered he had a good singing voice during a school talent competition around 18 months ago. He taught himself how to play the guitar, and Clapton's ballad was the first song he learned.

He has since performed in his local golf club, Weybrook Park, where he watched Saturday's show - which was recorded in March - with family and friends.

Around 50,000 people applied to go on the kids' version of this year's Stars In Their Eyes, the third series of its kind.

Billy's demo tape, which was sent off by his mother, got him down to the last 250.

He then faced a further two auditions before making it on to the televised heat stage.