For Sunday Life has gained exclusive access to an extra special photo book, being presented to the Bangor belle on her 18th birthday next month.

Snapshots of a delighted four-year-old Niamh at her first ever musical — Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat — in Dublin, in her First Holy Communion dress, starring in school productions and even auditioning for The X-Factor make the turning of every page a pure pleasure for mum Zaron.

Last Sunday, Niamh narrowly escaped leaving the show after landing in the bottom two.

But Niamh's display of tenacious talent and true Ulster grit saw Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber choosing her to stay in the show.

And proud Zaron and Niamh's sister Ciara believe that she can win the BBC1 show's glittering prize — a lead role as Nancy in a new West End production of the hit musical Oliver!

Said Ciara, a law student at the prestigious Sorbonne university in Paris: " I think a lot will hang on this week to turn the vote around and show people the extent of her talent and get voters back on board again."

Flicking through the pages of the This Is Your Life-style book she is lovingly creating for Niamh's birthday on June 18, her nursery school principal mum fondly recalled key moments in her daughter's musical development.

Said Zaron, herself an accomplished choral singer,: "She was always singing around the house, all day, every day! "Niamh, Ciara and her friends would practice all week and then do their own show of Disney soundtrack songs from Hercules, The Lion King and Beauty And The Beast."

Although she admitted that that last week's bottom two placing for Niamh was a "shock", Zaron is adamant that her daughter is a winner, no matter what.

"She is a winner anyway in that she has had the best training and the best advice from being in the show. Other avenues will, hopefully, open up to her. Niamh takes everything in her stride.

"We are so proud of the maturity and dignity she is showing. She has not been pushy and she has not been showing off.

"But we feel that she will be able to cope with whatever pressure is put in front of her. She is just being herself and we love her for that."