Gravesend student Tamera Foster's X Factor dream continues after she made it through to the next stage of the contest last night.

Abi Alton, who sang the Ed Sheeran hit Lego House, was voted of the ITV show after a sing-off with Hannah Barrett.

Tamera had earlier wowed the X Factor judges with the sounds of the Big Band.

After weeping when she ended up in the bottom two of the singing contest last week, she impressed with her rendition of Cry Me A River.

Judge Gary Barlow said Tamera's potential was "stratospheric", while Louis Walsh described her as a "little diva" and said: "You've got this thing called 'star quality'.

The 16-year-old, who attends North West Kent College, had to sing for survival on last Sunday night's results show against fellow contestants Kingsland Road.

Her mother Rachael told how she put the nerve-wracking sing-off firmly behind her.

She said: "She came off stage and sobbed - not because she was in the bottom two, but because she is so close to the boys in Kingsland Road. She said it was like competing against her brothers.

"After the show I said she could come home for the night, but she wanted to spend the boys' last night in the X Factor house and say a proper goodbye.

"She was very down on Sunday, but it was back to work Monday. She is putting her all into it and working really hard."

Rachael, 32, is drumming up support throughout Gravesend for her daughter, by handing out posters to businesses and shops to put on display, while proudly wearing her "Team Tamera" hoody emblazoned with the words "Tamera's Mum" on the back.

Tamera's brother, Regan, 13, sister Kiera, 11, and grandmother Janet also have their own tops.

Other relatives and friends are also showing their support and have nicknamed themselves T-Birds and T-Gents.

Gravesham Borough Council has also helping out by filming videos of the public supporting Tamera throughout the town centre. They will then be shown on their Facebook page.

Because Tamera spends most nights in the X Factor house, Rachael is also having to cope with not hearing her daughter's singing voice.

"She has such a loud singing voice and I was always telling her to 'shut up'. But I miss her a lot because the house is very quiet with her not being there.

"She shares a bedroom with Kiera and they are very close. Kiera plays her X Factor auditions over and over again."

Despite Tamera being busy with singing rehearsals, filming and photocalls, the teenager still finds time to stay in touch with seven-year-old Stacey Mowle, also from Gravesend.

Stacey is battling a rare cancer and her family are trying to raise £500,000 to pay for her specialist treatment.

The youngster is a huge fan of Tamera and the pair recently met.

"She is so intent on helping Stacey," said Rachael. "When they met they just fell in love. Stacey draws her pictures all the time and Tamera rings her up in the mornings to say hello."