SOUTH Essex has got talent - television's Mr Nasty said so.

Starmaker Simon Cowell has handpicked dance group Illuminate Beats, which has a base in Laindon, from 125,000 acts to join 39 others in the next round of a TV talent show, Britain's Got Talent.

The 29-strong group, who passed their first audition last month, will go up against the celebrity tyrant again.

They will be filmed dancing their two-and-a-half-minute performance on stage at Shaftesbury Theatre, in London's West End.

The group needs to dance the full routine without being stopped by the judges or criticised, in order to win their ticket into the final.

The youngsters will be watched by an audience of more than 1,000 people and filmed by TV crews for one of five shows being aired on TV later this month.

Presenters Ant and Dec will also be mingling in the crowds as the roving reporters speaking to performers behind the scenes.

However, the team, including Laindon girls Amy Hornsby, 13, Sophie Beeson, ten, Chloe Andrews, eight, Cara-Leigh Brindley, ten, Jade Gauci, 13 and Cassie Virdie, 17, are already facing a hurdle that threatens to be bigger than Cowell himself.

They have been up against the clock this week to learn a whole new routine to different music, because researchers could not get permission to use the original American track on the UK show.

Carlie Morris, 22, the group's choreographer and lead dancer, said: "I've had a nightmare because we had to completely re-choreograph our whole performance. The researchers couldn't get copyright.

"But I didn't want to make a fuss in case they just told us to not bother. I know I can count on my lot, though. They deserve a lot of credit."

She added: "To get this far is unbelievable. Everyone's worked so hard and I'm so proud. But the further we're getting, we're preparing for a few more brutal comments now."

Britain's Got Talent, which screens on ITV1, is due to be shown later this month.

If Illuminate Beats get through, the group will have to start filming for the studio final on Sunday.