Little Mix have teamed up with fellow X Factor stars JLS for a series of summer gigs across the UK. It was revealed yesterday that the group, which stars South Shields singers Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall, are performing alongside JLS and Alexandra Burke as part of the Sound City Summer Tour. Marvin Humes from JLS took to Twitter to tell fans the good news. He tweeted: “We’re very excited that @littlemixoffic are joining us on our summer tour!!! Have you got your tickets yet?” The open-air gigs start at Oxford’s South Park on August 19 and conclude at Lincoln’s Showground on September 2.

However, meeting JLS and Burke will be no nerve-wrecking experience for Jade, from Laygate, as she’s known them both for years. The 19-year-old first made friends with them when they all auditioned for the fifth series of The X Factor in 2008. Jade made it to the boot camp stage of the ITV1 show, while the chaps came runners-up to Burke. Jade’s Mum Norma Thirlwall said: “It was the year that the X Factor bosses reduced the audition age to just 14 – so I had to chaperone her about because she was so young. “She became friends with JLS, Alexandra and even Liam Payne from One Direction, who she’s still kept in touch with.

“It will be a nice reunion for them all, and I know Jade can’t wait to get back on tour, she’s very excited, all the girls are. “It’s going to be a great opportunity for them to promote their single, which should be out in June, and some of the tracks from their forthcoming album.” Norma is already planning on seeing her daughter in action this summer. She said: “Without a doubt, I will be going along to the gigs to watch her, I wouldn’t miss it.”

GEORDIE popstars Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards are calling on Tynesiders to make the region proud at this week’s X Factor auditions. The South Shields pair have shot to fame with girl band Little Mix since they were crowned champions of the hit ITV show, and now they want to see fellow North East singers follow in their footsteps when the auditions return to the region this weekend. It will be the first time in six years the auditions have stopped off in Newcastle after X Factor bosses had a shake-up of the circuit, which also saw auditions in Birmingham axed.

Producers will make their first visit in search of talent on Saturday to find future stars and continue on the Geordie reign set by Joe McElderry and Jade and Perrie. Perrie, 18, said: “We were just normal girls from South Shields before The X Factor, and now our lives have been changed forever. But like every X Factor winner, our experience started at the auditions.” Pal Jade added: “They are the first step on the road to the X Factor final and I’m sure there are plenty of Geordies young and old who stand a great chance in the competition.”

The last time the X Factor visited Newcastle was in 2006 when auditions were at St James’ Park. This year the auditions are to be held at the Metro Radio Arena. Producers will whittle down the thousands of hopefuls with successful singers getting a call back to later auditions with the panel of judges. Beth Hart, executive producer for the programme, said: “We’re so delighted that The X Factor is coming to Newcastle for auditions, we’ve missed it whilst we’ve been away. “Last year, two of Tulisa’s Little Mix girls Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards won the show so we can’t wait to see what other talent the North East has to offer.”

The X Factor Open Day will take place on March 10. For an application form or more information, visit the X Factor website.

THE rehearsing is almost over for Little Mix as the X Factor live tour kicks off tomorrow night. The band – featuring South Shields girls Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards – will be joined by eight other acts from last year’s show as they travel around the country for a series of gigs, starting in Manchester. Little Mix will enjoy star billing after winning the show, and they will have a particular eye on the Newcastle Arena gigs on March 19 and 20.

And as these pictures show, there’s a lot of hard work and fun during the preparations. Jade said: “We cannot believe it – we’re the first girl group ever to go on The X Factor tour and it means so much to us. “We can’t wait to get on the stage to perform. It’s going to be incredible.” And Perrie added: “For us to come on this journey together and now have the opportunity to play some of the biggest arenas in front of people that have voted for us is just mind-blowing.” Joining Little Mix on the road are Misha B, Janet Devlin, Marcus Collins, Johnny Robinson, Craig Colton, The Risk, Kitty Brucknell and Amelia Lily.

The tour includes gigs in Liverpool, Nottingham, London, Dublin, Belfast, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Newcastle, Sheffield, Birmingham, Brighton and Cardiff. Fellow Little Mix member Jesy Nelson said: “Since we won X Factor it has been a massive whirlwind. We have been in the studio recording our album and our first single, we’ve been doing gigs – it is the dream job. The X Factor live tour has been the best-selling arena tour in the UK for the last three years, with more than two million people seeing the show. Scouse singer Marcus Collins said: “I normally think of huge superstars performing in arena tours, and now me, who six months ago was working in a hairdressers in Liverpool is going to be on one of the biggest arena tours in the UK – who would have thought it?”

Tomorrow’s opening gig will be especially enjoyable for Mancunian Misha B, who added: “Last year I was busking on the streets of Manchester, and now to be touring around the UK is just sensational. This is the reality of what dreams can actually become, and the first stop is Manchester, which is home for me, so bring it on!” Tickets for the shows, priced £32.50, are on sale now, with limited availability family tickets priced £110 (four tickets – maximum two adults). For tickets, call the 24-hour ticket hotline on 0844 338 0000 (not Belfast/Dublin) or visit www.bookingsdirect.com

Tulisa, The girls mentor on X-Factor recently told MTV (UK) That she will be getting the girls in the studio later this week to put their vocals on a track for Tulisa’s upcoming debut album. In previous reports early last month Tulisa said they’d love to put vocals on the duet they had done on the show.

FORMER X Factor champ Joe McElderry has been sharing his wisdom with one of the Little Mix girls. Joe – who won the competition back in 2009 – grew up with Little Mix member Jade Thirlwall in South Shields, and revealed to the Sunday Sun how he caught up with her over Christmas to talk about what she can expect this year. “I am good friends with Jade and we grew up together. They will have an amazing year now and I wish them many years of success,” said Joe. “I met up with Jade at Christmas and I think she is just, like, ‘Oh my God, I cannot believe what is going on’. I was the same at that stage of the show.” Joe said the that fact two X Factor winners had been created in the region was a credit to fans in the North who really support their stars. “People from the North East really get behind you. I am sure the girls feel the same,” said Joe. “You cannot do it without the public support. I was saying how I remember when I was on the show and the community support was just brilliant. “When I came and did the home-coming gig here at the Sage, the support is like no other. “They really get behind their own people.”