CONTROVERSIALLY voted off X Factor at the weekend, Paul Akister is the latest addition to the line up for this Saturday’s spectacular Christmas concert.

He will be joined by fellow X Factor finalist Lola Saunders who are replacing Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro.

International commitments forced the last minute re-shuffle but event organisers are confident that the new line-up will bring out huge crowds.

Council Leader Barrie Grunewald said: “It’s a pity that we won’t get to see Collabro in Victoria Square on the night, but I know there will be a lot of people in St Helens keen to see Paul Akister and Lola Saunders in person – given their fantastic performances on The X Factor.”

Paul and Lola take Collabro’s place in the first of two spectacular events – the Christmas lights switch on - which also features Britain’s Got Talent finalists Bars and Melody, along with local favourites the Lancashire Hotpots.

The Christmas Lights Switch On gets underway at 4pm on Saturday (November 15) and also includes a fun-packed music programme with performances from local and regional acts - Sophia Ben-Yousef, Zoe Unsworth, The Ambition, Ellis C and Jack, Rime Suspex, Myth of Unity, Amica, Garswood Primary School, Broad Oak Primary School and Parish CE Primary School. There will also be a special appearance by the cast of the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime from the Theatre Royal St Helens.

There will be interviews with Kyle Amor and Alex Walmsley from 2014 Super League champions St Helens RLFC, local boxing champion Martin Murray, Linzi Prescott from the Steve Prescott Foundation, local Hollyoaks TV star Ryan Barr, Miss Teen St Helens Galaxy Laura Bradley and Father Christmas too!

From 7pm, the second free event - the Switch On After Show Party - will start featuring The Lightning Seeds, Scouting for Girls and The Hummingbirds.

The Lightning Seeds, have had 12 top 20 UK hits including ‘Pure,’ ‘Change,’ ‘Sugar Coated Iceberg,’ ‘You Showed Me’ and the unforgettable1996 football anthem ‘Three Lions.’ Scouting for Girls, the hugely popular pop-rock band with a host of Top 10 hits including ‘She's So Lovely,’ ‘Elvis Ain't Dead’ and ‘This Ain't a Love Song.’