ONE DIRECTION singer Louis Tomlinson thanked fans for their support following the death of his mother, ahead of a performance in her memory on The X Factor.

Mother-of-seven Johannah Deakin, 43, died on Wednesday after a battle with an aggressive form of leukaemia, which meant she had been in hospital in London since May.

Tributes were paid to her during Saturday night’s show as the final three contestants fought it out to be named 2016 champion. The winner will be revealed tonight.

Ahead of the show Tomlinson, 24, wrote on Twitter: "All the support has been incredible! Let's do this together tonight.”

One Direction found fame on The X Factor in 2010, when they finished third behind Rebecca Ferguson and eventual winner Matt Cardle.