[zakman440]

X FACTOR champion Ben Haenow has been axed by Simon Cowell — just three months after releasing his first single.

The music mogul made the move after Ben’s most recent song Slamming Doors missed the charts altogether, despite getting a coveted performance slot on the X Factor final last month.

His swift dumping means Ben, who Simon mentored to victory in the 2014 final, becomes the fastest X Factor flop other than Steve Brookstein who never got to release an official single.

An X Factor source said: “Simon made the decision with a heavy heart.

“He was a big supporter of Ben but it’s simply down to business — Fleur East, who came second, has done much better.

“And at the end of the day our winners, especially the blokes, never have the same success as the likes of One Direction and Olly Murs.”

Former van driver Ben, from Croydon, won all but one of the rounds on his way to victory in 2014.

He performed alongside Ed Sheeran in the final and his winners’ song, a cover of OneRepublic’s Something I Need, went to No1 selling 214,000 copies.

However, his popularity waned as soon as he topped the charts and not even a collaboration with US singing sensation Kelly Clarkson on his second single Second Hand Heart failed to make the Top 20.

A Syco source said: “The relationship between Ben and Syco remains strong.

“Both agree that moving on is the best course of action but are on really good terms. Everyone at Syco is very fond of Ben and wish him well.”

After The Sun revealed the news, Ben released a statement confirming the departure.

He said: “Working with The X Factor and Syco has been the most amazing time of my life and has given me the best possible platform for me and the start of my career.

“However, after discussions both myself and Syco felt it was the right time to move on.

“I am really very excited about this next chapter, I’m already writing and in talks about the next album and loads of other stuff on the go. I cant wait to share it with you.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...e-release.html

It was always going to happen at some point...

[Jordan.]

It's just embarrassing for them rather than the contestants

[Braden]

sherriehewson.gif

[Marsh.]

I am so shocked.

[Jamie89]

Originally Posted by Jordan.

It's just embarrassing for them rather than the contestants

True, takes even more credibility away from the show

[Jack_]

Blimey, this was inevitable obviously but this is earlier than I expected...

Feel a bit sorry for him really, they injected all their efforts into Fleur and while I can see why, he did win

[Firewire]

it's a shame that they aren't even giving him a second chance, they barely promoted him

[MB.]

Don't worry, they've got some great success lined up with Louisa Joh-never mind

[lewis111]

Don't like him but what a shame
He didn't flop that bad tbh his song spent a while in top 40

[Crimson Dynamo]

Terrible winner

[Black Dagger]

Feel bad for him really. Oh well The Jump awaits

[RichardG]

Already? Louisa will follow shortly I guess

[Samm]

Louisa and Fleur should move out and find a different label, syco is trash

[Pete.]

When Fleur's dropped, I see Universal/Sony picking her up

[Jords]

They need to do a Fame Academy / Pop Idol (forming a band - GA & OTV) type of singing contest again... People are bored of TXF/The Voice format.

[Strictly Jake]

Disgusting treatment of him. Syco is a joke

[Crimson Dynamo]

Originally Posted by ShakeyJake10

Disgusting treatment of him. Syco is a joke

No, they are a business

[Strictly Jake]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

No, they are a business

Yeah but a business who is really struggling to produce anything successful. As soon as more and more flops fleur will also be dropped. With one direction gone for a while syco is set to lose millions. It's a rubbish business and these artists are better off with other record companies

[Kizzy]

Put him in corrers with shayne....mmmmmmshayne

[Mystic Mock]

Congratulations to him, hopefully he'll finally be allowed to do his Rock/Soul stuff that he should've been doing on the show and in his actual Music.

[Denver]

Originally Posted by ShakeyJake10

Yeah but a business who is really struggling to produce anything successful. As soon as more and more flops fleur will also be dropped. With one direction gone for a while syco is set to lose millions. It's a rubbish business and these artists are better off with other record companies

The only peopel who are to blame are the people who voted for him to win but didn't support him after the show

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Adam.

The only peopel who are to blame are the people who voted for him to win but didn't support him after the show

Tbf how are his fans suppose to know that his Music is out when his hardly getting promotion from his Label?

Syco need to start pushing acts with actual genres of Music rather than Zombies with no style or decent style, or what Ben got which was a Hozier type of act being turned into Shayne out of Westlife.

Syco/affiliated shows will not do well until they let the acts be how they naturally sound, it's like how in the series 12 genreless Louisa wins whilst these singers had their genres changed on them.

Max - Indie to Reggae.

Kiera - Imo should've been an Indie singer but got turned into a Dance singer.

Monica - R&B to Pop.

Mason - R&B/Hip-Hop to Pop.

4th Impact - K-Pop to Western Pop.

This was all in the last series just so someone potentially exciting didn't win, and don't even get me started on series 11 on how they sabotaged everybody else to make Fleur “standout.”

[Denver]

Originally Posted by Mystic Mock

Tbf how are his fans suppose to know that his Music is out when his hardly getting promotion from his Label?

Syco need to start pushing acts with actual genres of Music rather than Zombies with no style or decent style, or what Ben got which was a Hozier type of act being turned into Shayne out of Westlife.

Syco/affiliated shows will not do well until they let the acts be how they naturally sound, it's like how in the series 12 genreless Louisa wins whilst these singers had their genres changed on them.

Max - Indie to Reggae.

Kiera - Imo should've been an Indie singer but got turned into a Dance singer.

Monica - R&B to Pop.

Mason - R&B/Hip-Hop to Pop.

4th Impact - K-Pop to Western Pop.

This was all in the last series just so someone potentially exciting didn't win, and don't even get me started on series 11 on how they sabotaged everybody else to make Fleur “standout.”

He was on the X Factor pretty much every week so that's a poor impact

[EspeonBB]

I didn't like him on X Factor but I feel kinda sorry for him. Syco are such an awful label

[joeysteele]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Blimey, this was inevitable obviously but this is earlier than I expected...

Feel a bit sorry for him really, they injected all their efforts into Fleur and while I can see why, he did win

Absolutely,they give up on people far too quickly in my view.

I actually would not want to win this show if I was ever on it.You have to release the single they tell you initially, then you don't get to release another single until X Factor starts again.

The winner has any genuine talent they have stifled and pulled out of them, never mind get nurtured.