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Tulisa Contostavlos has said she doesn't feel contestants can “ever be too young” to appear on The X Factor.

The programme's minimum age was brought under the spotlight again this week after judge Gary Barlow said he believed 16-year-old Luke Lucas was not able to handle the pressure.

But Contostavlos said the programme was the perfect breeding ground for young starlets.

"I don't think they can ever be too young. Coming from someone that started with N-Dubz at 11 years old and being let down by record labels from the age of 11,” she told the Press Association.

"If I can handle it... It's toughened me up. It's made me prepared for how cut throat this industry really is and they need a certain amount of training to get into it.”

She added: “I think any knock back is a positive because it just helps you progress and move forward."

Barlow and his Take That bandmate Robbie Williams had raised doubts about Lucas after he failed to live up to expectations at the judges' houses stage of the competition.

But the 16-year-old said yesterday he enjoyed the experience, despite being dropped ahead of the live shows.

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