Stick-thin Cher Lloyd pops out for lunch... an energy drink and a fruit salad (but Mary Byrne's got enough for everyone)

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Hardly filling: Cher Lloyd went for lunch during a break from the recording studio today, but only bought herself a Red Bull energy drink and a low-calorie fruit salad; meanwhile Mary Byrne stocked up


Show insiders have made no secret of their concerns about Cher Lloyd's ability to cope with the pressures of The X Factor.

But as the stick-thin teen filled up with a fruit salad and caffeine-filled energy drink today, it seemed the worries may have fallen on deaf ears.

Hopefully supermarket worker and fellow contestant Mary Byrne, 50, will make sure the size six 17-year-old gets a balanced meal.

Single mother Mary stocked up with two large bags of supplies including sandwiches, boxes of Pringles and snacks.

The lunch comes just days after viewers saw Cher struck down with tonsillitis at the crucial judges' houses stage of the show, leaving her future in the competition in jeopardy.

Cheryl Cole went with her 'heart' and backed her early favourite.


That's not going to fill you up! Size six Cher ate this for lunch


But with weeks of gruelling rehearsals and draining live shows to come, Cher will need to keep her strength up if she is to repay that faith.

Cheryl admitted putting Cher through to the next stage was one of the 'hardest decisions' she had made on the show, as the teen was overcome with tears.

However, the decision sparked fury amongst X Factor fans, who felt that the judgment should have been made on the performance that was screened at the weekend.

There were also concerns that the wannabe was too emotionally fragile to cope with the pressures of continuing on the show after she was seen to break down before Cheryl and her friend, Black Eyed Pea's Will.I.Am.

Claude Knights, director of charity Kidscape, said: 'She's too vulnerable - further exposure seems quite risky and foolhardy.'

The drama came as the 32 hopefuls were whittled down to 12 ahead of the live shows, which begin next week.

The teenager, who is fighting a throat infection, began speaking the words of an R Kelly song before breaking down.


We're in! Cher leaves a recording studio today with 1Direction's Harry Styles, Zain Malik, and Niall Horan
On Saturday's show, Cheryl could be seen comforting Cher before asking her if she wanted to try again later.

But show producers had to subtitle the young hopeful's response as she whispered back: 'I am done now, I am done. Sorry.'

Despite being the bookies' favourite to win this year's contest, her failure to perform left her future in doubt.

But on scenes screened on Sunday night, Cheryl opted to put her through to the final based on her earlier performances.


Hopefuls: Scottish singer Storm Lee from the 'overs', Matt Cardle from the 'boys' and Cheryl's controversial choice Katie Waissel, who broke down during the judges' houses stage of the show


Before giving Cher her verdict, she explained: 'When I go back to the first time I ever saw you perform I instantly thought you were fantastic, I was really excited to see you again and I get here yesterday and it's like you've fallen apart and you weren't the girl that I'd seen before.

'It is one of the hardest decisions I can genuinely say I've made in the three series that I've done, because my heart and my head are pulling in completely different directions.'

Show insiders admitted Cheryl has an 'affinity' with Cher and sees similarities with herself when she first appeared on ITV's Popstars: The Rivals in 2002.

Like the Girls Aloud singer, Cher, from Malvern in Worcestershire, comes from a troubled background and has been in scrapes herself in the past.

Several of her relatives have had brushes with the law, and the aspiring singer was suspended from school at 14 after getting into a fight.

Cher said: 'I have made mistakes in the past too but I believe everyone deserves a second chance.'


Hopefuls: Rebecca Ferguson, Aiden Grimshaw and Sophia Wardman out in London today; the group are now living together as they prepare for the first live show


But many fans commenting on online message boards felt that the teenager should not have been put through to the finals because she is simply not up to being in the competition.

A concerned viewer said: 'This young girl seems so emotionally fragile. It really did make for uncomfortable viewing.'

Another said: 'I don't think Cher is ready for all this. I feel she is not emotionally strong enough and doesn't have the self-confidence to enter a music career.

'She should have given it a few years, matured a bit, then entered.'
Others voiced concerns that Cher was being given preferential treatment despite her poor performance because she had won over Cheryl early in the competition.

One said: 'She wasn't very good but is clearly going to sail through because she is Cheryl's pet.'


Emotional: Cher and mentor Cheryl broke down as the teen learnt she would be going through to the live finals


Another commented: 'It wouldn't be fair if she was put through to the live shows even though she messed up at this stage, because that means they were planning on putting her through the whole time which isn't fair for all the other contestants at the judges' houses.

'They'd be basing it only on her previous singing from the beginning.'
A spokesman for The X Factor insisted it was within the rules for the judges to select candidates for the live finals regardless of their most recent performance.

But it is understood to be the first time a contestant has failed to perform during the judges' houses stage and still been put through.

A show source insisted producers would keep be keeping a close eye on Cher to make sure she is coping with the rigours of the show and her new-found fame.
An ITV spokesman said: 'The welfare of contestants is of paramount importance and we are keeping a close eye on the young ones.

'There are members of production in the house with the contestants at all times and there is a counsellor available to them.'

Following the boot camp auditions fears had already been raised that Cher wouldn't be able to cope with the strain of the show.

A source told the Daily Mail: 'Everyone was worried about Cher, she was extremely nervous and shaking at some points.

'She is quite bolshy on stage, but she sat by herself at lunch. She didn't eat much and looked frail and vulnerable as she was accompanied by a member of production.'




source :dailymail