Professional Liverpool Idol Judges Announced

Four leading figures in music and entertainment have been revealed as the panel of judges for the city's very own X Factor competition, Professional Liverpool Idol.

In its first year, the competition is being held on 9 July 2009 at PanAm on the Albert Dock, and aims to raise over £15,000 for the leading learning disability charity, Mencap.

The judges putting the contestants through their paces are BBC Radio Merseyside presenter Billy Butler, artistic director and Sense of Sound choir manager Jennifer John, actor Dean Sullivan and Martin O'Shea, former Atomic Kitten manager and director of artist entertainment company Integral RPM.

Gayle Derrick, head of regional fundraising North West, Mencap said: "We are delighted to unveil a panel of such prestigious judges and are certain that the contestants will do their best to dazzle them."

The contestants hoping that one of them will be crowned Professional Liverpool Idol are Martin McQueen of Halliwells, John McCaffery of Grant Thornton, Jon Else of TSSLP, Frank Herlihy of DSW, Carla Whitehead of PKF, Edmund Chan of DLA Piper, Colin Wardale and Mike Powell of Hill Dickinson, Mike Petyt of Medicash, Jennifer Lee of KPMG and Lisa Murphy of DWF.

The event is being run in partnership with Professional Liverpool which is the business network and sector support organisation for financial and professional services firms across Liverpool City Region, and is being sponsored by Liverpool based healthcare cash plan provider Medicash.

Sue Weir, chief executive of Medicash said: "All the contestants have been working extremely hard to perfect their performances through the professional vocal coaching they are receiving from Sense of Sound and the event promises to be a very special night."