Lashing out: Cher Lloyd was snapped angrily waving a spoon at a X Factor crew member after rehearsals for last night's live show
With the final of the X Factor looming, the pressure is on for the remaining five contestants.
But one wannabe is feeling the strain more than anyone as this extraordinary picture shows.
After rehearsals for last night's live show last week, Cher Lloyd lashed out at a crew member and waved a spoon in her face backstage as it all became too much for the youngster.
The singer is seen having a go at the female member of staff and apparently screamed at her to 'get out my face!'
And according to sources who spoke to the People today, she also had a go at One Direction member Louis Tomlinson.
They said: 'Cher flipped. She was very angry. There were a couple of the boys from One Direction in the room. Louis was the closest and he was staggered at the incident.
'Cher appeared to be someone who is in a bit of a delicate state at the moment. She is finding the competition very tough.'
Understanding: Brian Friedman let Cher off her tantrum because of her young age
And last night, Brian Friedman, who helps the acts with their dance routines every week, revealed that he saw the 17-year-old hit the roof.
Speaking about the incident on the Xtra Factor, the ITV show's spin-off, last night, he said: 'She had a little bit of a meltdown. I don’t know why it happened, I think it had something to do with the song, she wasn’t used to the intro, she hadn’t heard it before she got onstage.
'So she had a bit of a moment and she had some tears and had to step away and Cheryl and her had a pow wow and she came back and she was magical.'
But he said he completely understood why she reacted so badly, and said her age had a lot to do with it.
He added: 'I can’t be mad at her, she had to go through it and she’s 17 years old.
Wardrobe issues: Cher's outfit could also been the cause of her strop after switching from a skirt to trousers for the live show
'I think age has a lot to do with it. I know at 17 I was feeling different than I do now. You have a lot of insecurities and things you have to overcome and to overcome them in front of this many people is a lot to do so I’ll give her her tantrum.'
There was also some suggestion that she wasn't happy with her outfits after she wore a lace top and short skirt for rehearsals but swapped the skirt for leather trousers and thigh-high lace up boots for the live show.
Despite her nerves and fears over her semi-final performances, she wowed the judging panel with her two hip hop-themed songs, as Simon Cowell raved that he was a 'huge fan'.
Support: Cher's mentor Cheryl stepped in to calm her down while Simon Cowell told her he was a 'huge fan'
Source:Dailymail