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Rebecca Ferguson has begged Louis Walsh to be her mentor on The X Factor, it has been claimed.

Ferguson burst into Walsh's dressing room and pleaded with him to replace her current mentor Cheryl Cole, according to The Sun.

The 24-year-old singer apparently feels that she has been left "out in the cold" by Cole, who is said to favour rival contestant Cher Lloyd.

A close friend said: "Rebecca had to watch while Cher and - before she got chucked out - Katie Waissel got all the attention.

"Cheryl tells her she is great and has a great voice, but Rebecca has felt like the others are the focus." 

Walsh reportedly comforted Ferguson after she broke down in tears following last week's Rock Week performances.

"Rebecca turned to Louis as he has always been such a big fan of hers," the source added. "He gave her some advice and helped her get her confidence back."

However, the insider quashed any talk of Walsh replacing Cole as Ferguson's mentor, saying: "Louis would love to mentor her but it's not in the rules."