East Lancashire singer and actress Diana Vickers to star in 'The Rocky Horror Show'

The X Factor finalist, 23, will play the role of Janet Weiss as director Christopher Luscombe creates a new production to celebrate the 40th anniversary this December.

MORE TOP STORIES:

She will take the stage alongside S Club 7’s Paul Cattermole, who will play Eddie and Dr Scott, and Emmerdale actor Ben Freeman, who will play Brad Majors.

Veteran Kristian Lavercombe, who has performed in The Rocky Horror Show’s global tour over 900 times, will return as Riff Raff.

Vickers, who studied at Westholme School, has previously starred in the stage version of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, which won her the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards London Newcomer of the Year, and critical acclaim.

She then went on to star in the West End production of Duck House alongside Ben Miller and Simon Shepherd.

Her acting debut came after she burst onto the music scene in 2008 on the hit ITV Saturday night singing competition.

The following year, she signed a record deal with RCA Records, with her debut single Once topping the charts in 2010.

Her debut album, Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree, also hit the number one spot.

As well as launching her own fashion line, Vickers made her film debut in 2014’s The Perfect Wave and TV acting debut in comedy series Give Out Girls.

The Rocky Horror Show was first performed on June 19, 1973, at the Royal Court Theatre and continues to break box office records around the world, currently selling out in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Austria.

It tells the story of Brad and his fiancée Janet, two squeaky clean college kids, who meet Dr Frank-N-Furter by chance when their car breaks down outside his house while on their way to visit a former college professor.

Stars including Russell Crowe, Tim Curry, Jerry Springer and Meatloaf have appeared in The Rocky Horror Show over the past four decades.

The musical is famous for members of its audience dressing up as the characters.