[Red Moon]

Leon Jackson exclusive

Girls and their bras not for me says Leon I thought Rhydian was ready to be the winner Maybe I can buy my mum a wee house now MARK JEFFERIES meets X Factor winner LEON

He's had bras and pants thrown at him and been chatted up on the internet but X Factor winner Leon Jackson says he won't be taking up any of the offers.

The crooning Scot, 18, is determined to become the singing sensation of 2008 and doesn't want girls to get in the way.

He said: "I'm single and in a really good position of being focused at the moment. If I was in a relationship it would take a strain.

"I've had bras thrown at me and the pants and it's really flattering. I've been on MySpace and seen things saying, 'you are hot' or 'you are fit' and I am just not used to it.

"But just now I need to focus on music. I've done a lot of hard work to get here but it's just the beginning.

"I don't think I'm going to get distracted with a lady companion at this moment. There's no time for nothing like that. Any time you get off you just need to sleep."

There is one woman, however, who Leon does want to be with - his devoted mum Wendy.

He said: "I could do with spending more time with her. I was with for 10 minutes after the final and then had to get straight into a car.

"It's really hard because she's the one I want to see right now." Former shop worker Leon pulled off one of the biggest shocks on reality TV when he beat Rhydian Roberts and Same Difference in Saturday's final.

He did not expect to win but millions voted for him after he performed White

Christmas, You Don't Know Me and a duet of Better The Devil You Know with Kylie Minogue.

Honest Leon confessed: "For me Rhydian was the frontrunner. We're friends and I thought he'd go all the way. He is so professional and he was ready. I looked up to him and he was an inspiration.

"In the final moments I was stood there with Rhyd on stage, I couldn't believe it. In my mind I was saying, 'Leon, Leon, Leon' hoping that that was what Dermot was going to say next, thankfully it was. It was a shocker and now my life has been turned upside down."

Victory means a £1million recording contract for Leon - and there are other beneficiaries. An Arsenal footballer, staying in the same London hotel as Leon at the weekend is said to have pocketed £50,000 after putting a £10,000 bet on him at 5-1.

But more importantly to Leon, success means he will be able to treat Wendy.

The 40-year-old receptionist has been looking after him alone in a small maisonette in Whitburn, West Lothian, since his dad walked out when he was two.

Leon said: "My mum has been spectacular in bringing me up. She's made me the person I am and I hope people can see the great job she has done through me.

"She was forced to be unemployed to raise me alone. Financially it was very difficult.

We were living on benefits and she had to prioritise, pay the bills and feed and clothe me.

"We never had a car during those times or holidays, the closest we got was a trip to the seaside on the bus. I don't know how the record deal works with money but I'm only young and have never given my mum anything massive. I'd love to get her a wee house. She likes doing the gardening and to have a bit of privacy so it would be nice.

"I also want to get her a new car and I'd love to get a Mini Cooper S for myself."

Leon's win comes after he began singing just 11 months ago. Amazingly he claims he did not really like music until he was 16.

He said: "I never grew up listening to music, I would rather be out playing football. So I never had a tape player or CD player as a kid.

"Then my mum came home with a Michael Buble album when I was about 16 and I fell in love with it and that style of music.

"So I found myself singing along in the same key. Then my mum bought me an iPod and I researched that style of music and got into the likes of Jamie Cullum. I suddenly got a real passion for music and began singing a lot around the house. I turned 18 last December and then in January started going to karaoke nights at Chicago Rock Cafe in Livingston every Wednesday.

"The first song I ever did was Last Request by Paolo Nutini and then loads of people started to tell me I was good.

"I looked forward to Wednesday nights so much and if I was having a bad week at work it would cheer me up. I started to want to do music at a more serious level and applied for The X Factor, the rest is history.

"It has just been a fairytale for me and hopefully it is just the beginning."

Leon's debut single When You Believe is available to download now. The hard copy is released on Wednesday.

12.7Million

Viewers who tuned in for the final show. Mum Wendy was in the studio audience.

Source: The Mirror

[Jackie]

Leon did very well it's nice to know that he is an average boy next door really he isn't a spoilt brat he's a nice quiet lad and it must have been diffcult when his dad walked out on them when he was younger.I bet his dad will be getting in contact with him now.

[Dan_]

Originally posted by jackie46
Leon did very well it's nice to know that he is an average boy next door really he isn't a spoilt brat he's a nice quiet lad and it must have been diffcult when his dad walked out on them when he was younger.I bet his dad will be getting in contact with him now.

His dad died a few years ago.

[Bells]

In my opinion the best part about Leon's success story is that he really proved everyone wrong (myself included). Based on his first few weeks, I was shocked he wasn't being voted out, and I remember comments from the judges - e.g. Simon - 'You look like you've seen a ghost' etc. But he put in a lot of hard work and determination and made his voice as good as possible. And bearing in mind that he is 18 and started singing in January, the future looks pretty bright if he holds on to it. His fans will stick by him, and I'm sure he too wants to continue for long in the business.

[Red Moon]

Originally posted by Ash
In my opinion the best part about Leon's success story is that he really proved everyone wrong (myself included). Based on his first few weeks, I was shocked he wasn't being voted out, and I remember comments from the judges - e.g. Simon - 'You look like you've seen a ghost' etc. But he put in a lot of hard work and determination and made his voice as good as possible. And bearing in mind that he is 18 and started singing in January, the future looks pretty bright if he holds on to it. His fans will stick by him, and I'm sure he too wants to continue for long in the business.

He took me completely by surprise too.

In the early weeks of the live show I was sure he should have gone. He was so ropey and he looked like a frightened hedgehog caught in a cars headlight. He settled down in the middle of the series and in the final weeks of the live show he really came on. The transformation was remarkable.