It’s that time of year again where millions of us gather around our tellyboxes to laugh at the unfortunately shaped, completely deluded and clueless auditionees of The X Factor.
Whilst the primary function of this show is to judge, ridicule and laugh at complete strangers, legend has it that it’s actually a talent show.
But one week in to the new series, SCANDAL hit the headlines as auditionees were blatantly auto-tuned in post-production to make them less offensive to the human ear.
With X Factor success stories countable on just one hand, we cast our minds back to the winners of The X Factor that failed to hit the big-time.
It’s time…to face…the job centre!
Steve Brookstein
After only two series of Pop Idol, Simon Cowell decided to rejig his talent format and launched The X Factor in 2004 opening the competition up to aspiring groups and older members of the public.
Enter 35-year-old Steve Brookstein.
After a rocky first audition, Steve made it to the live shows and mentored by Cowell, Steve won the competition beating operatic runners up G4.
Steve Brookstein
He immediately released his debut single Against All Odds which predictably went straight to the top of the charts thus beginning the annual tradition of having a sh*t X Factor song invade our earholes every Christmas for all eternity. We say ‘beginning’ but at least Bob The Builder hasn’t got a shot anymore.
After the initial rush to grab his debut album Heart and Soul, Brookstein was dropped by record label Sony just eight months on from his X Factor win.
Steve decided to take matters into his own hands and formed his own record label. He released a single, Fighting Butterflies, and an album, 40,000 Things which both failed to chart.
From then Steve toured to varied success. He joined Chico and Journey South on a P&O cruise liner (oi oi sailor!) and even appeared in the Madness musical Our House in 2008.
After 2009’s X Factor Steve was involved in a Twitter feud with Simon Cowell after publicly backing the Rage Against The Machine campaign which led to the Christmas number one away from winner Joe McElderry.
Understandably Steve has not been invited back on any X Factor shows and the official website doesn’t even include and footage of him (unlike everyone else).
UPDATE: Still apparently full of bile over The X Factor machine, Steve recently found himself in a slanging match over Twitter with the mother of One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson after criticising the band member’s first audition and calling him ‘shockingly terrible’. Let it go Steve…
Shayne Ward
Well we all know Shayne’s journey…why? Because it’s the same as everyone else’s.
Audition – elation – sobbing – a nail-biting final – the win – a Christmas number one – disappear for a while and then maybe have a successful career. Maybe.
But what happened to the stubbley, high-note-hitting Wardmeister?
Sing it Shayne!
Well, in 2006 the poor lad developed vocal chord nodules (the condition that halted Julie Andrews in her tracks) but thankfully made a full recovery and then decided to release an autobiography (he must have had a lot to say) later that year called My Story.
In 2007 he toured the UK and released his second album Breathless which, to his credit went platinum.
In August 2010 Louis Walsh ‘reluctantly’ dropped Ward as his client saying: ‘I thought Shayne had the X factor. I thought he ticked every single box. He had the looks, the talent, the ability, the attitude and the ambition. I believed in him 100%.
‘I gave blood, sweat and tears in working with him – I absolutely did. Then there was no record, it all dried up.
‘There was nothing I could do at all. My hands were tied. I only wish him the best because I think he’s a great guy. But I reluctantly had to let him go.’
Ward is still apparently signed to Syco records and is said to have been working with high profile producers such as Taio Cruz and RedOne on a comeback album which is due in December 2010. Whether it’ll materialise or not is another matter…
UPDATE: Shayne recently announced that his comeback single will have a November 28th release.
Leon Jackson
Remember Leon Jackson? He was the one with those awful sideburns and who had a man crush on Michael Bublé.
The winner of the fourth series in 2007, Leon was mentored by new judge Dannii Minogue.
Turned up with his awful greasy sideburns but thankfully got a haircut when the finalists got their makeovers.
Lil' Leon
After winning The X Factor and having his predictable number one, a cover of Whitney and Mariah’s ‘When You Believe’, Leon disappeared to work on his new album, Right Now, and surfaced on the next series of the show to promote the follow up single Don’t Call This Love.
It reached number 3 in the UK charts with his album managing only 3 weeks in the UK Top 40 album chart. We won’t mention the success of the other singles but Leon, however, was invited back on stage with his idol Michael Bublé during his Glasgow gig that year. Silver lining and all…
In early 2010 Leon travelled to America, seeking out a new sound steering away from his big band persona to a more acoustic singer/songwriter guise. He even taught himself guitar!
He did a mini three-date tour over the summer to test out his new material which may be filtering through the radio sometime soon.
On his comeback Leon says: ‘I am putting myself out there in deeply personal ways like never before. I feel like I’ve started to become a real songwriter in the last year through my experiences and I’m trying to share views that are universal.’
Good luck to you sir!
- – - – -
It may be too early to see what becomes of the ‘freshest’ winner Joe McElderry. Who knows maybe in two years, maybe we’ll be writing about him….
Awesome post peter, it’s been a while since I’ve been on here. I see that nobody has lost their p ~@$$` ion. Good to be back.
Nice brief and this post helped me alot in my college (_`%( ignement. Say thank you you seeking your information.
Sorry for my bad english. Thank you so much for your good post. Your post helped me in my college ^(!)~ ignment, If you can provide me more details please email me.