Ever since the first X Factor champion, Steve Brookstein, every X Factor winner, even Leon Jackson, has made the Xmas number 1 slot – but not this year.
As we reported earlier in the week, Joe faced a backlash against X Factor, with a Facebook-led campaign to take Rage Against the Machine’s Killing in the Name to the top of the charts for Christmas.
Simon Cowell commented “I am gutted for Joe because a number one single meant a lot to him but I have to congratulate Jon and Tracy, who started the Facebook campaign.”
Joe could still be number one next week, however, and the X Factor boss urged people to buy The Climb to make Joe’s dream of a number one single a reality.
We were inundated with comments when Lucie Jones left the X Factor, and it seems that it wasn’t just the public that felt wronged – judge Dannii Minogue did to.
She told Heat Magazine: “I was shocked. I think it showed a frightful side to his personal music taste. He wimped out by not choosing Lucie as he had just said how amazing she was after her performance and that he he didn’t know what to do about the twins.”
She added: “Next year, we need five judges and a fifth category, adding ‘Novelty Act’, which maybe Simon could mentor!”.
X Factor is over for another year, and this year’s winner is Joe McElderry!
Joe McElderry, mentored by Cheryl Cole, was the bookie’s favourite for the final, but took some weeks to come to the attention of the bookies. There were more than 10 million votes for the final, so he had certainly come to the attention of the public!
You can buy the MP3 download of the Climb here now, or you can pre-order the CD of the winner’s single, The Climb
which is to be released on Wednesday.
Runner up Olly Murs was gracious in defeat, saying “Joe’s been phenomenal every week. [..] he deserves every minute of it”.
Joe took the time to thank Cheryl Cole, his mentor after the win, and also said “thankyou so much to everyone who voted.”
It’s the final weekend of the X Factor 2009, and today one act had to leave – that act was Stacey Solomon.
Stacey, or ‘Dagenham Stace’, as she was generally known, was gracious in defeat, saying that she was proud to come third in the competition.
Stacey had earlier performed with crooner Michael Buble.
Olly Murs and Joe McElderry are through to the final proper tomorrow night.