Author(s): Simon Packham

Young Adult Fiction

She wants to be famous, now it's time to face reality! When Bex gets an audition for The Tingle Factor, she begs geeky guitarist Matthew to accompany her, hoping he’ll lift her performance. But the judges want Matthew – not Bex! Bex swallows her envy, and persuades a reluctant Matthew to take part by offering to help with his family. While Matthew gets swept up in the world of reality TV, it’s Bex who has to deal with his sweet, affection-starved sister and his angry, disabled mother. Asked why he wrote The Bex Factor, author, Simon Packham, says: "As an actor, I auditioned hundreds of times. That’s why TV talent shows fascinated me from the start. But the more so-called ‘reality shows’ I watched, the more I realised that reality was being manipulated, perhaps at the expense of the contestants’ well-being. Who needs talent if you’ve got an emotionally-charged back-story? "I wanted to write a book that would allow me to explore the back-story behind the back-story. What happens if you want to keep your private life private? What happens if you just want to sing?"