A Walthamstow singer is set for the biggest performance of her life this weekend as she takes to the stage at Wembley Arena for the final of the ITV hit show The X Factor.

Favourite to win after beating worldwide competition from hundreds of thousands to reach the final stage, Fleur East has come a long way from selling clothes in Topshop in Selbourne Walk.

Growing up in Walthamstow, the 27-year-old says she loves the borough and, before the show, spent all her time here.

The singer, dancer and rapper has been praised week after week by celebrities and the public as “the whole package”.

Now, she credits an after-school club in Leyton for inspiring her.

“It has just been so amazing, I can’t describe it. I have been given this huge platform to do what I love,” she told the Guardian.

“People are starting to recognise me and know who I am – it’s crazy.

“It was the after school club Ladders at George Mitchell school that I used to go to that really started me off.

“It was the highlight of my day, I couldn’t wait to finish school to go and sing and dance.

“There were some boys who went who rapped so I would learn with them and write songs.

Fleur East returns to Walthamstow

“At home I listened to pirate radio and would try and learned the raps.”

Miss East has lived in Rosslyn Road her entire life.

 “I never left Walthamstow really. I did all my shopping there. I spent a lot of time in Wood Street going to the chippy and the cake shop.

“Every single weekend I would go to Epping Forest with my dad for a bike ride.

Last weekend, her rendition of Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk gave her a number one in the iTunes chart.

The energetic performance was called “one of the best ever” in the competition.

Miss East said: “I was stressing in my head, I was nervous.

“Afterwards both my mum and my dad were like ‘where did that even come from?’ I think it was the hunger.”

“All day we were watching it on the charts and people were saying it would go to number one, but I didn’t think so.

“After I found out I was in the final, the singing coach came over and he held up a finger – to say number one – it was just so much to process.

“I know everyone says this but I really have been waiting for this my whole life.”

Ahead of the final this weekend the East family are taking a tour of London in her promotional ‘battle bus’.

Miss East, however, remains modest.

She said: “I haven’t been reading anything really but in interviews people have asked if I knew I was favourite to win.

“ I’m trying not to think about. I’m just concentrating on my performance.

“I thought working with Simon Cowell would be so scary, but he’s really cool - really down to earth.”

The X Factor is described by Fleur as the beginning of her journey as she is confident she will go on to do more.

Miss East also hopes to inspire young people in the borough.

“My message to young people would be never give up  – I am proof that it can happen,” she said.

“I am well into my 20s but I have always believed it is going to happen and I never gave up.

“One big thing for young people in Waltham Forest is don’t get distracted, don’t fall in with the wrong crowd and don’t worry about what other people are doing. You just do you.”

The final will be at the Wembley Arena this weekend.