BOOKIES' favourite Jeff Greenhalgh failed to poll enough votes to win the final of Stars in their Eyes on Saturday night.

But he has vowed to continue his singing career in Leigh.

Millions of TV viewers tuned in to watch the fate of the singer, who sang the Beatles classic Eleanor Rigby as Paul McCartney.

But the 43-year-old couldn't beat Nicola Kirsch, who polled almost half-a-million votes as Maria Callas with her polished performance of the operatic classic O Mio Babino Caro.

Jeff, who will continue singing in North-west clubs as Tony Jefferies, said: " She was excellent -- in a different class altogether."

The contestants enjoyed a VIP party after the show at Granada studios.

Jeff said: "We all had a great time. The entire week before the show was very special.

"We had a great laugh."

The singer, who suffered from a sore throat for weeks before his crucial appearance, said: "It was definitely worthwhile. Matthew Kelly was great and really got to know everyone.

"On the Thursday before the show, we all went out in Manchester for a pizza. It ended up in a sing song.

"We all had to sing something that was not our Stars in Their Eyes character. It was great fun."

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Jeff, who polled 79,000 votes is now back home with his wife, Julie.

The show proved a real ratings winner with more than 1.3 million people casting a vote by phone or Internet in an hour. Jeff Greenhalgh