[Red Moon]

Boy-next-door Leon snatches X Factor glory from red-hot favourite Rhydian

Boy-next-door underdog Leon Jackson has won X Factor, snatching a surprise victory from hot favourite Rhydian Roberts.

The 18-year-old Scotsman scooped a £1 million recording contract with his success - secured by a margin of just one per cent of the viewer vote.

Leon, who entered the competition to secure a better life for himself and his mother Wendy, looked stunned when he heard he had won and on the verge of tears.

And after performing his final song, he broke down sobbing on host Dermott O'Leary's shoulder.

The fresh-faced teenager is now hotly tipped to land a Christmas number one with the release of his version of Mariah Carey's When You Believe.

Leon, who was stacking shelves in Gap just a few months ago, only began singing seriously in January and had never dared to dream his love of music would one day change his life.

As he heard he had been crowned X Factor king he could only shake his head and mumble: "It's not real, it's not real."

Asked if he ever thought he would win, Leon said: "Never in a million years. I thought I would try my hand at this just to get some experience."

"I set out to pursue this because I love singing and as it went on I knew I could potentially change my mum's life."

His appeal to the estimated 11 million ITV1 viewers may have been helped by his duet with Kylie Minogue, with the pair cavorting in front of a red grand piano during a jazzed-up version of her 1990 single Better The Devil You Know.

Kylie's one-time co-star Jason Donovan dueted with third-placed brother and sister act Same Difference, while opera star Katherine Jenkins performed with Rhydian.

After their duet, Kylie said: "I love your voice, not to mention that you're cute and adorable and everyone loves you – I have fallen under your spell today."

And judge Dannii Minogue proudly said, "You walked into the first audition on your own – now you're like the Pied Piper, you have everybody following you, congratulations."

Sharon also heaped praised on him, saying: "You have the most beautiful tone to your voice, you've duetted with Michael Buble and Kylie Minogue, and those superstars are rubbing off on you. "You came into this contest a shy little boy – now you are a confident gorgeous young man."

And Louis Walsh added: "You have star quality. I take back every I said about you in the early stages, you are going to be a professional." Brother and sister duo Same Difference were booted off the show after they secured the fewest votes - leaving Leon and Rhydian to battle it out. Welsh weirdo Rhydian was the favourite to win the contest, but Leon stole the show.

At Leon's first audition in Glasgow, he struggled to hold back the tears when his rendition of his musical hero Michael Buble''s track Home gained him entry to the next round of the competition.

After the fearsome Simon Cowell told him "Very few people walk into this audition room with a natural talent like yours", Leon's first response was to call his mother and tell her he loved her.

"I live with my mum, who has been a single parent for nearly all my life," he says.

"She had to rear me by herself and it was a tough job.

"She had to play mum, dad and friend. She has supported me all my life in everything.

"She is a part-time receptionist in a doctor's surgery. I have no siblings, just me and my mum and my gran, who lives nearby.

"My mum and dad separated when I was two. We never heard from him or that side of the family.

"And then a family member came to see us in the last couple of years and informed us that he had passed away. I never knew him - he was a stranger. It has always been me and my mum.

"Initially, I entered this competition because I was really passionate about singing. Every time I sang, my troubles disappeared.

"I thought 'I am going to take this seriously,' and entered The X Factor.

"Obviously, there are perks involved that are lifechanging, and I'd love to change my mum's life.

"It was tough growing up. It would be an incredible feeling to be able to help her, so that she didn't have to worry about money any more.

"But the other side of it is that I want a career in music and to do a job that involves my talent.

"Singing is the only thing that makes me happy in this world."

Source and Pictures: Daily Mail