[Red Moon]

X Factor: The finalists

Rhydian

He's shrugged off the arrogant villain tag he gained at the beginning of the series and heads in to tonight's final as oddson favourite.

But the 24-year-old from Powys, Wales, is far from relaxed. He says: "In one way it is nice to be the favourite, but on the downside there is added expectation for you to go out and deliver.

"Vocally, I think I am the strongest, but the others have grown in confidence. So it is a level playing field and I just hope I can win it.

"Every primary school in the country will be behind Same Difference - and why shouldn't they? Leon has the teenagers and Sinatra fans."

But with celebrity fans including Little Britain's David Walliams and boxer Joe Calzaghe, Rhydian's certainly some got heavyweight support of his own.

This evening he'll be singing O Holy Night and his favourite song, Somewhere.

Same Difference

They might be cheesy, but Sean and Sarah Smith wouldn't have it any other way.

"We were brought up on cheesy music," says Sarah, 19. "There are videos of me doing the Macarena and Whigfield's Saturday Night when I was younger."

The brother and sister from Portsmouth were favourites to get booted off the show in the first week of the live stages. But they have overcome criticism from Louis Walsh to get to the final, in which they will sing Christmas Song and All I Want For Christmas Is You.

If they do win X Factor, Same Difference intend to be role models. Sean, 21, says: "We want to help kids in a good way. Drugs, drink, it is all seen as cool now and we want to try to show another way."

Smiling as ever, Sarah says: "It's not the end, whatever happens. But I'll be celebrating in A&E if we win because I'll collapse from shock."

Leon

Leon Jackson is hoping to win X Factor on a diet of hard work and packets of 14 pence noodles!

The 18-year-old from Whitburn, West Lothian, had never been on a stage before entering the competition but the young Scot has come a long way with the help of his mum Wendy.

Grinning Leon says: "She sent down a huge box of my favourite 14 pence noodles - I have them every day for my lunch.

"This has been such an amazing experience. All my mates are asking for Dannii's phone number!"

Leon, whose favourite song is Michael Buble's You Don't Know Me, can also count Dannii's sister Kylie and crooner Buble as fans.

A hot contender to win the final with White Christmas, Leon also has a secret weapon - his lucky pants! He said: "My mate and her sisters signed some pink pants - they'll be in my back pocket when I'm performing."

Source: Daily Mirror