Just 13 students will enter the Fame Academy

Seven of the initial 25 contestants will perform on the opening night of the show on 26 July, hoping to bag one of just 13 places in the Fame Academy.

It will be up to viewers to decide who will get their shot at stardom when the show begins on BBC One.

The hopefuls will be whittled down to the final group over the coming weeks - with the second round on 30 July - before the triumphant students enter the academy on 6 August.

The eventual winner will win a lucrative recording contract and get to live the life of a pop star for a year.

The top five students from the inaugural Fame Academy - David Sneddon, Sinead Quinn Lemar Obika, Malachi Cush and Ainslie Henderson - have all since signed record deals.

The first seven hopefuls Alistair Griffin, 25, from Whitby, an indie songwriter and busker Carolynne Good, 22, from Leeds, rock vocalist and songwriter Daniel O'Shea, 20, from York, plays guitar and writes indie-folk songs Gary Phelan, 20, from Newcastle, a guitarist and songwriter Katie Green, 20, from London, a pop, rock singer and pianist LaDonna Harley-Peters, 22, from Birmingham, a gospel, RnB and jazz singer Louise Griffiths, 25, from Herts, a pop singer-songwriter

The first series, the latest in a line of TV talent shows, got off to a bad start when it was dubbed "Lame Academy" by critics.

Essential skills

But ratings did pick up, with 6.9 million voting in the finale, which was eventually won by Sneddon.

A celebrity version was also made in aid of Comic Relief. The lucky contestants will stay in a luxury mansion in north London where they will taught essential skills required to break into the recording industry.

Tutors include singing and dancing coaches Carrie and David Grant, Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees and headmaster Richard Park.

David Sneddon won the first Fame Academy series

Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty are returning as presenters.

Each week three students are put on "probation" and must sing in a live televised show, with the public deciding who should be kicked out.

Carrie Grant said: "All 25 hopefuls have already been through so much to come this far but nothing will have prepared them for their live performance to the nation.