The Cheeky Girls continue their hunt for Sunderland talent

The Cheeky Girls with Eve Brownlee who took part in the singing competition at the 'Arizona' venue.

The twins turned Simon Cowell for the day to host auditions at Arizona in Holmeside as they scour Wearside for people to be part of their Christmas single as they vye for the coveted No 1 spot.

Gabriela and Monica are no strangers to the spotlight after shooting to fame with their hit Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum) after appearing on ITV show Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

The Cheeky Girls with some of the Sunderland auditionees

They’re hosting a series of auditions at the city centre bar in the hopes of giving a Wearsider the chance to share the stage with them and feature in their Christmas single.

They headed to the city after teaming up with Cheesy FM’s Saturday Night Dance Mix presenter, Steve Evans, who is from Washington.

Steve said: “The auditions went really well, we had about 19 serious contenders with a couple of really standout performers. They sang cover versions of tracks from artists like Whitney Houston and Culture Club.”

The next round of heats will take place on Sunday, July 31 at Arizona, with a further audition on August 14 and a grand finale on August 28.

Steve added: “The response to the auditions has mostly been great. There’s been some negative comments. The Cheeky Girls aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they’re good fun, and we’re just trying to put some fun and cheese back into the charts.

“The girls are confident they’ll find someone to feature in their Christmas single from Sunderland.”

The auditions all start at 3pm and run until 8pm, and also feature live performances from the Cheeky Girls, as well as family entertainment.

For more details visit www.CheekyPop.co.uk