Britain's number one artist is returning to his home county tonight to tell a sold-out concert "It's Chico Time".

Chico Slimani, who moved to Crawley at 14 after his family left Morocco, has proved he has the X Factor with his first single, It's Chico Time, making a new entry at the top of the charts.

He will be celebrating to a home crowd at The Brighton Centre tonight as the X Factor tour returns for its second date at the venue.

Chico, 34, gained a firm fan base during the finals of the ITV show with his energetic performances.

He had a good rapport with the audience, who would shout his catchphrase "It's Chico Time" whenever he asked "What time is it?".

The former Hazelwick School pupil came fifth in the television finals and his reign at the top of the charts follows the winner Shayne Ward's success in clinching the Christmas number one.

A spokeswoman for The Brighton Centre said she was very pleased for Chico because he was a local success story.

She said: "We're thrilled he's the number one artist while playing at the number one venue on the South Coast."