by Renee Israel
She's being hailed the "New SuBo" - and not for nothing.
Mary Byrne of Ireland overcame her shyness and lack of confidence to audition in front of the X Factor judges ... and managed to wow them away with her stunning ballade.
The Tesco till worker reduced Cheryl Cole to tears and had Simon Cowell tell her that she was "the best voice of the day" during her audition, earning four 'yesses' by the judges and putting her through to the next round.
50 year old Byrne hit every single note in the song, earning her a standing ovation from the audience.
Byrne comes with a story to match her voice - a fact that could easily help her chances to be the next winner of X Factor 2010.
She left school at the age of 13 to help her struggling family, working in factory after factory until she got a job at Tesco 11 years ago.
At 27, she fell pregnant, but was abandoned by the child's father, and she went on to bring up her daughter alone.
It was only due to the pressure put on her by her fellow Tesco workers that Bryne notched up the confidence to audition for X Factor 2010.
"Being on that stage performing in front of 2000 people was an amazing moment," she recalled. "Cheryl said I made the hairs stand up on the back of her neck, bless her. I nearly cried."
Betting sites have already offered Byrne a place on the top of their lists, and Paddy Power has even opened a Mary Byrne special wagering section, as follows:
Mary Byrne to appear as a guest on the Oprah Winfrey show - 13/8
Byrne to reach No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 - 8/1
To star in a West End show - 8/1
Debut album to sell more copies globally than Susan Boyle's - 10/1
Guest start in an episode of the Simpsons - 10/1
To be voted in top 10 most influential people by Time magazine - 12/1
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