'˜This is just the beginning' says teen after X Factor exit

Annabel Pike (far right) with girl band Girl Next Door auditioning on the X Factor.

Annabel Pike and her group Girl Next Door were subjected to a whirlwind exit on Sunday night but the 17-year-old says they have no plans to give up.

“I think the experience has just strengthened our resolve and showed us how much we love performing,” Annabel said. “Rejection has only given us that extra boost to work even harder to make it.”

Following their performance of One Direction’s Drag Me Down, judge Louis Walsh sent them home, only to change his mind after riotous chanting from the audience.

The group were given a seat in his final six only to lose it again moments later when trio Skarl3t delivered an impressive rendition of Jessie J’s ‘Bang Bang’.

“That was recorded in July,” she said “So we’ve known for a few months now.

“It was strange to relive it and remember how stressful it all was. We all thought it was edited a little oddly and we said it sounded very different to when we actually sang it.

“We were really looking forward to watching it back because we thought we put on a really good performance, the crowd gave us a good reaction and we had some excellent comments from the judges, especially Simon Cowell.

“But when we watched it back, the track was very overpowering and you couldn’t really hear what we were singing in parts so we were disappointed.”

But Annabel has vowed the group won’t be giving up.

She said: “We’ve got lots and lots of gigs lined up and we want to use the exposure we’ve received from the show as a platform to get us going.”

And Annabel says the group, which was put together by the man who formed Take That in the 90s, Nigel Martin-Smith, would consider going on the popular ITV show again.

“I think we would give it another go, we’re only young so this is just the beginning for us.”

And Annabel’s mum Judith said: “It definitely wasn’t what we, the audience at Wembley or Simon Cowell heard when they performed - but it is a TV show.

“It was all very dramatic but the girls all thoroughly enjoyed their X factor journey.”