[quote][/By Richard Peppiatt
X FACTOR finalists Austin Drage and Scott Bruton were pulled apart after brawling with each other in front of fellow contestants.
The pair, who are both in Simon Cowell’s 16 to 24-year-old males section, were involved in the fracas after trading insults.
Cowell, who is 49 today, has now intervened amid fears the pair’s rivalry could explode again.
A show insider said last night: “It is no secret that Austin and Scott have hated each other from the start.
“They’re both lovely guys, but when they’re in the same room there is an obvious clash of personalities.”
Grabbed
The pair squared up while working in a rehearsal studio in London with the other finalists.
The source added: “An argument started between them and in a flash they had grabbed hold of each other’s shirts and were pushing and shoving.
“It looked like they were about to throw punches but others were on hand to break them up.
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“They then had to be held back from trying to hit each other.
“Although they’d had several verbal arguments before that, no-one had expected it to turn violent.”
It is not known if Cowell saw the incident, but he discussed it with producers and fellow judges Louis Walsh, 56, Cheryl Cole, 25, and Dannii Minogue, 36.
The insider added: “Simon may be the boss, but the other judges are desperate to win and won’t let his boys disrupt their preparations for the all-important live shows.
“It’s especially difficult, though, for Eoghan Quigg. He is only 16 and a long way from home and now he has to contend with these two older boys in his group exchanging killer looks with each other all day.
“You can cut the atmosphere with a knife and it’s detracting from the real reason they are here in the first place – the music.”
It is thought the rivalry of Essex boy Austin, 21, and Mancunian Scott, 19, stems from Austin’s friendship with Cheryl from his time supporting Girls Aloud with his old band 5boyz.
Some contestants were fuming at the revelation, claiming Austin had an advantage.
A spokesman for The X Factor said: “Austin and Scott might not be the best of friends but they’re sharing a room in the house and getting on well enough at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Cheryl invited her three girl finalists round for dinner at her pad, though husband Ashley, 27, was nowhere in sight.
Alexandra Burke, 20, Diana Vickers and Laura White, both 17, could not believe their luck.
A insider said: “They got all giggly like schoolkids as they thought Ashley might be there and they fancy him. But when they arrived Cheryl told them: ‘It’s girls only tonight’.”
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