[MarkWaldorf]

SIMON Cowell is ready to take Geordie X Factor winner Joe McElderry to Hollywood - and turn him into the new Zac Efron.

The Sun can reveal Cowell, 50, will fly the teenager to the States in the New Year to tie up a lucrative deal, which will make the timid singer £5million.

Three major US TV networks and several Tinseltown movie giants have already contacted the music mogul about cashing in on Joe's success.

They reckon the 18-year-old singing sensation is a dead cert to take over from former teen idol Efron, 22, who has made millions from the smash-hit High School Musical films.

Cowell will launch the US bid after Joe, from South Shields, became the most popular champion in X Factor history - beating rival Olly Murs, 25, in last night's gripping ITV final.

It followed a major Sun poll which predicted he would storm to victory.

Joe got 61.3 per cent of the final vote, with Olly on 38.7 per cent.

The Stateside ball was set rolling when Cowell picked a US-friendly Disney track as Joe's first single.

Last night thousands of fans downloaded his version of The Climb - originally sung by Miley Cyrus in the Hannah Montana movie.

A source close to Cowell said: "Simon has already set the wheels in motion for Joe's Stateside success.

"He has been bombarded with offers from TV and film studios and is in the enviable position of having several incredible offers.

"They all want someone to fill Zac Efron's shoes, as he's fast moving out of the teen market now he's 22.

"Having a cute English guy take on the mantle is every US producer's dream because the English accent is seen as a real draw.

Picking The Climb was all part of the strategy. Simon chose the song as soon as it became clear Joe was in pole position. It's a song that will work well in Britain and the US.

"But obviously the American market is where all the money is."

Efron has become a phenomenon after three High School Musical flicks. He is already worth £6million.

Cowell has plenty of time to find a deal for Joe as he will not put out his first album until next September.

Last night Joe, who wins a £1million recording contract, celebrated his glittering new career - telling The Sun: "It's a dream come true."

But the shy crooner admitted he nearly did not AUDITION after being rejected two years ago. Up to 20 million viewers tuned in to watch him triumph in the X Factor's biggest-ever final, which saw a performance by Sir Paul McCartney. He was the only wannabe never to land in the show's bottom two during ten weeks of live finals.

But Joe told how his confidence was so low after his 2007 rejection that he considered not applying.

Giving his first newspaper interview since winning the show, he said: "It's amazing to have won.

"But after the first time on the show I literally said I'd never do it again because I didn't feel ready. Now I'm here I just can't believe it. It's a dream come true." Joe revealed he had struggled with the final weekend after it emerged he was the heavily-tipped favourite.

The Sun revealed on Saturday how our YouGov poll showed the Geordie ahead of Olly and Stacey Solomon, voted out on Saturday.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...y-the-lad.html