Former X Factor Finalist Kerry McGregor Dies of Cancer

Kerry McGregor, a former X Factor contestant, has died aged 37 after a battle with bladder cancer.

McGregor, who was mentored on the 2006 show by Sharon Osbourne, was diagnosed with cancer in 2010.

The singer, who lived in West Lothian with her partner and their son Joshua, described herself as a "proud Scottish mum" on her Twitter profile.

"It is with deep sadness we announce that Kerry passed away at home following a battle with cancer. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends," read a statement on McGregor's website.

After losing her father in a car accident aged just five, McGregor took the first steps on a career as an award-winning child gymnast, before falling from a tree aged 13, breaking her back, leaving her paralysed from the waist down.

"I really admired Kerry and my thoughts now go out to all ofher family and friends," Simon Cowell wrote on Twitter.

McGregor, an ambassador for the Action on Bladder Cancer, was still rehearsing and recording until a month before her death. She was due to perform a duet with Susan Boyle later this year.