Singing duo Margaret Wainwright, 58, and Joanna Hingley, 56, who perform under the stage name Take Note, were two of 175 contestants in boot camp, whittled down from about 180,000 hopefuls.
But the singers were eventually told their time was up by a panel of celebrity judges last month.
Joanna, of Empingham Road, Stamford, says the duo had a fantastic time getting a glimpse into the glamorous and fickle world of show-business.
"At the end of their day it's their loss," she said. "We had an absolute blast but the fact of the matter is that we weren't what they were looking for."
Take Note, who sing with Stamford Gilbert and Sullivan Players, first won over judges after belting out The Flower Duet from Léo Delibes' opera Lakmé, which featured on a recent British Airways TV advert. They later went on to sing Britney Spears' Hit Me Baby One More Time.
They were soon whisked off to boot camp in London, where they had to learn seven songs in the space of a few weeks to wow the judges all over again. While there they got to stay in a plush hotel and were taken out sightseeing.
Margaret, of Mill Drove, Bourne, said they bonded with the production staff and other acts bidding to win the show and were given a standing ovation after one of their performances.
She looks back fondly on their brush with stardom, which included a visit from the TV cameras to her home.
She said: "I wasn't allowed to tell my husband how we were doing and when he got home from work the cameras were there."
Take Note say their experiences have helped them learn some new duets and on Saturday, October 11, they will be performing at All Saints' Church in Stamford.