tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377397211306352782012-02-16T11:04:13.588-08:00788http://www.blogger.com/profile/15946261640055235816noreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-337739721130635278.post-12397849559896787362007-12-17T02:45:00.000-08:002007-12-17T02:47:59.890-08:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.music-news.com/images/news/leonjackson.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 180px;" src="http://www.music-news.com/images/news/leonjackson.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /> <br />Scottish singer Leon Jackson is favourite to take the Christmas number one spot with his debut single after his surprise victory in the fourth series of "<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://groove-bay.com/The_X_Factor/The_X_Factor_music/download_mp3/q2s2014829s221d/">The X Factor</a>", bookmakers said on Sunday.<br /><br /><br />The 18-year-old won a million pound recording contract after beating the runaway favourite, Rhydian Roberts, in the reality TV show final on Saturday.<br /><br />"It's not real," Jackson said, choking back tears after winning a public vote. "It just means the world to pursue this because I love singing. I knew I could change my mum's life and I've just done it."<br /><br />Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said it was a "fantastic victory for Leon and Scotland".<br /><br />Jackson, a jazzy crooner who used to work in a clothes shop, had been expected to lose to Roberts, from Wales. Ladbrokes said the upset had saved them from a huge payout.<br /><br />"Leon's win is the biggest shock in the history of reality TV betting," said spokesman Nick Weinberg. "He will definitely be top of our Christmas card list."<br /><br />Ladbrokes has stopped taking bets on Jackson landing the Christmas number one spot with "When You Believe", a version of the Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey song. William Hill made him its 1-6 favourite.<br /><br />In the final show, Jackson sang "White Christmas", "You Don't Know Me" and "Better the Devil You Know", a duet which he performed with Australian singer Kylie Minogue.<br /><br />Earlier this month, he performed with his idol, Canadian crooner Michael Buble, at London's Wembley Arena.<br /><br />Jackson, from Whitburn, a small former mining town in West Lothian, was the first Scot to reach the final of the popular reality show. About 200,000 hopefuls auditioned for this year's finals, ITV said.<br /><br />Jackson's mentor on the show, singer Dannii Minogue, said: "I can't wait to see what he is going to do."<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/337739721130635278-1239784955989678736?l=x-factor-mp3.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>788http://www.blogger.com/profile/15946261640055235816noreply@blogger.com0