The Ex-Factor: How Leon Jackson Ended Reality TV Singing
LEON Jackson is the nation’s “newest star”. So says the Mirror of the winner of TV’s X Factor talent show.
The Sun says Jackson is a “character waiting to bust out of his shell”.
In “LEON: I’ll be the 2008 Caner of the Year,” the Sun’s Gordon Smart says Jackson drinks vodka and Redbull, is a “lager monster” and “has even sampled the devil’s brew Buckfast”.
The paper is banking on a drunken Jackson being more talented than his weepy sober pre-celebrity self. Jackson’s adventures with drink will make him a victim, and better able to be broken on the wheel of the tabloids. Given his singing style, we expect Jackson Hic-Ups Motown to be in the shops in time for Easter.
For now, the main story circling Jackson’s head is that he should not have won the show.
The Mail says 1,500 viewers have complained about the X Factor result. (*A study by the Anorak Foundation of Institutionalised X-Factor (AFIX) found that voters on TV phone votes are 26 times more likely to complain via the phone.)
Rhydian Roberts, the kind of act you see presenting Finland on Eurovision night, finished the show in second place. His supporters are complaining that phone lines were jammed and their votes unrecorded. The Mail’s Allison Pearson uses the full might of her column to talk of the “travesty” of Rhydian’s lost votes. How did he lose to the “tone-deaf” Jackson?
In the Star, Rhydian has “snubbed” the X Factor after show party. Readers hear the words “stitched up”, “fixed” and “pinch of salt”.
ITV counters the allegations by saying that Jackson won by a “10 per cent margin”. How many votes that is we aren’t told. It might be six, two or a hundred. If it were hundreds of thousands, ITV would most like tell us, bragging about it, even.
But they don’t. And the real story might not be that Leon Jackson is the latest karaoke singer to make it big, but that he will be the last…
December 19th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Must admit, I was rather shell shocked at the result. Yes, Rhydian does look like a modern version of “Max Headroom” ( 80’s iconic computer generated figure), but no doubting it, he can chant! I watch X factor for the pure entertainment value before the finals - those people who have been told by “friends” that they can sing (cruel to say the least) but it does make rather rivetting, although slightly voyeuristic, viewing! I do truly believe that talent just doesn’t cut it on this show (with the exception, maybe, of Leona Lewis), but talent has certainly not cracked it this year. Never mind, someone in the musical world will snap Rhydian up, and sadly, little Leon will disappear like Steve, Shane, etc, etc, etc…….
December 19th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Make that 1,501.
Mrs D’s language was f*cking terrible as she tried (and failed) to get through to record her vote for Rhydian. Dreadful to hear such f*cking language from a woman! I don’t know where she gets it from. When the phone lines finally closed and she still hadn’t manged to vote for Rhydian, she consoled herself with the happy thought that the constantly engaged tone meant votes had been flooding in for him.
If her f*cking language had been bad before, you should have heard her when the vote was announced and (in her words) that f*cking tone-deaf w*nker took first place. F*cking fix! Last time I’m going to watch that f*cking show. The b*stards are f*cking us about.
She was really quite upset about it.
I poured myself another dram and made mental note to talk to her about her language (when she had calmed down!)
December 19th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
10% winning margin??
Well that’s not what the presenter said about two minutes before giving the result with the phone lines still open. “There is a difference of only 1% between the two contenders” he said, touting for every mad idiot to reach for their phones and spend 35p.
It was mighty obvious to everyone who was listening that the result had been decided before the phone lines even closed. Simon Cowell’s final words to Rhydian were “if we don’t hear you sing again, your mother will be very proud of you”.
Stich up all over!
December 19th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
all the people slating leon should get a life. rhydian is a trained singer and yes was excellent. leon is only 18 years of age, no training whatsoever, and has the potential to improve greatly. celine dion, michael buble and kylie cant all be wrong or are the idiots who slate him saying these three cant sing either?
December 19th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
im not sure if i agree to be honest with the result.. and in doing so, we have set up a blog and poll..
Will Leon Jackson Be Another One Hit Wander?
Was The X Factor Result Fixed?
cast your vote and leave a comment today
http://leonjackson.blogspot.com/
December 19th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
I agree with Maggie, Rhydian is a trained singer and is at his best, Leon at 18 and untrained has a long way to go. He also had some soul and passion. He sang songs that were challenging and unusual. Rhydian on the other hand, a good trained singer but in his field there are many many more who do operatic much much better. The other welsh chap Potts (think that’s his name) outshines and out sings him in this genre.
December 20th, 2007 at 12:19 am
I DONT THINK IT WAS FIXED. I PREFERRED LEON’S STYLE OF SINGING AND THINK HE IMPROVED ALOT, WHEREAS RHYDIAN STAYED THE SAME THROUGHOUT. RHYDIAN WAS GOOD BUT NOT THE GREATEST. I HOPE LEON ISN’T A ONE HIT WONDER. HE SINGS WITH PASSION AND I REALLY LIKED HIM, AS I DO MICHAEL BUBLE. MAY BE THEY SHOULD HAVE A SEPERATE SHOW FOR TRAINED AND EXPERIENCED SINGERS AND ONE FOR THE REGULAR PEOPLE WHO SING IN FRONT OF THE MIRROR WITH A HAIR BRUSH, DREAMING OF STARDOM!
December 20th, 2007 at 2:42 am
leon should totally have won the x factor
one newspaper columnist that i was readin said he was backing rhydian but then when he tried to vote he got a message saying lines where blocked so he tried leons to see if it was a fix but he got the same blocked message!!
stop giving leon a hard time he won fair and square…if you dont like him then dont buy his music simple as…whats done is done and that is leon the crowned winer of x factor…every time there is a reality tv show there are always complaints about ti being a fix just because youre favourite doesnt win!!! leon has supporters too you know not just rhydian in my oppinion it was as if he was certain he was winning he just put on a show…and what a big wein by snubbing the after party and leaving- grow up rhydian youre 24 years old- u should be on stage not the music channels…rhydian is at his optimum singing level and he stayed the same operatic stiff as board person leon changed his voice is adaptable he has came a long way and knows that a singing career doesnt come easy, he has work to be done and all of us people who like him will be buying his music!!!! get over yourself rhydian you welsh whinger….!!!!
from alanna 16 fae glasgow
c’moan leon!!!
xxx
December 20th, 2007 at 5:04 am
Leon’s a Bay City Roller without the tartan
December 20th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I can’t believe anyone in their right mind could possibly like Leon….so what if he will be good in 5 years time..he is absolutely crap now and the show was supposed to be about who had tallent now….not in the future.
I notice it’s only the young girls that like Leon mostly, it doesn’t matter how well he sings or doesn’t as the case may be. He cried a lot too for the sympathy vote.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Well I loved Leon from the start - he has a lovely quality of tone to his voice and once he cracked his nerves he just got better, and I am 45 - so to be called a young girl is great!!