Fil-Am singer wows judges in 'X-Factor' debut

MANILA, Philippines - Fil-Am singer Ellona Santiago made a strong showing in the pilot episode of "The X-Factor USA" as she got the approval of the 4 judges during the competition's audition round.



"For 14 years old I was really impressed," judge Cheryl Cole said after her audition. Fellow judges Paula Abdul, L.A. Reid and Simon Cowell also gave their approval to Santiago. (Note: Cole was later replaced by Nicole Scherzinger.)

The pilot episode was aired Thursday night in Manila via Studio 23. In October 2009, Santiago became part of "Handog Sa Bayan" benefit show in Hollywood to raise fund for the victims of typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng."

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