A teenage singer-songwriter from Bromley has reached the finals of a national singing competition.

Eli, 19, from Bromley will compete in the TeenStar grand finals at the NEC in Birmingham on July 25 having wowed judges at the auditions and two sets of regional heats.

A £5,000 development and management prize awaits the winner, as well as an increasingly prestigious title that has been held by the likes of Birdy, X Factor stars Lucy Spraggan and Jahmene Douglas.

Eli – whose real name Elizabeth Dayo – said: “I’m really excited, I’m buzzing. I saw the competition online and I thought I would give it a go – I saw that artists like Birdy and Luke Friend did it and went quite far.”

For the ex-Bromley College student, who is going to Ravensbourne College next term to study fashion, it is the first major competition.

She previously competed at a charity contest at the Churchill Theatre in December and regularly plays shows around London.

Follow Eli on twitter @Eli_Acoustic or facebook.com/EliAcoustic