X Factor dad: best yet to come

X Factor fever is sweeping a Mid Wales town as Welsh wonder Rhydian Roberts continues to wow the judges and fans in London.

His proud father Malcolm, who lives in Trallong near Brecon, said there was a "love him or hate him" aura developing around the 24-year-old with the popular joke now being of a sponsorship deal with Marmite.

Rhydian, a former pupil at Llandovery College near Brecon, made it through the latest round of the ITV reality singing contest with his unique version of Meat Loaf's I Would Do Anything For Love (but I won't do that).

But Malcolm was remaining tight-lipped about this weekend's performance. He said: "He is a good entertainer but you ain't seen nothing yet. There's definitely more to see and there will be something a bit special this Saturday I believe."

Malcolm said friends and residents in Trallong and Brecon had been fully behind Rhydian's singing exploits and had been swept up in X Factor fever.

Some parents are even using him as a role model for their young children who think people from rural areas can never achieve anything. However, Malcolm denied claims that his son was a bully at school. "He was head boy at Llandovery College and he couldn't tolerate bullying," he said. "As long as Rhydian knew about it, it would stop."