Jahmene Douglas Page 2

Jahmene Douglas may not have won the X Factor, but he seems to be set for a successful career anyway.

The 22-year-old supermarket clerk from Swindon has apparently captured the hearts of judges and fans alike. Douglas chose Let it Be as his winner’s song and, while it wasn’t enough to secure him the victory, it seems have caught the eye of the people who really matter in the business. The deciding voice himself, Simon Cowell, has mentioned that he has big plans for the singer. Cowell has mentioned being impressed with the This could mean that, despite missing out on the title, Douglas might follow in the steps of some other notable X Factor losers, like Olly Murs, Rebecca Ferguson and JLC, who have all released successful albums after their time on the show.

Like many talent show contestants, the singer has the story of a troubled childhood to spur him onwards and perhaps give him that much needed bit of depth to succeed in a competition, based on the popular vote. However, he has definitely earned his success on his own merits, having impressed judges and viewers alike with his consistently strong vocal performances.

Continue reading: X Factor's Jahmene Douglas Set For Success

Despite only becoming a prominent front runner in the competition at week eight, James Arthur took the x factor UK crown last night, beating out Jahmene Douglas and Christopher Maloney in the final held over two nights (December 9 and 10).

The Daily Mirror published the week-by-week votes from throughout the 10 weeks of live competition, and as recently as week seven Arthur was in the bottom two, having only taken 13.7% that week. What a difference a week makes, though, and sure enough the next weekend he was on top of the polls with 51.7% after two stunning renditions of Abba’s ‘SOS’ and Marvin Gaye’s ‘Let’s Get It On’. He was never bested again, and so although last night’s final was undoubtedly tense, the result was perhaps a lot less in doubt than it might have appeared.

In the final held in Manchester, Arthur was comfortably clear of Maloney on the first night, singing ‘Feeling Good’ by Nina Simone and ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Bob Dylan with mentor Nicole Scherzinger. Indeed, it was a busy night for Scherzinger given that Douglas was also her protégé, and so she teamed up with him for ‘The Greatest Love Of All’, made famous by Whitney Houston. With Thomas putting in a strong performance on the first night, it was no surprise that Liverpudlian Maloney was the first of the three to go, bowing out on the Saturday night. Last night, though, Arthur was victorious, 53.7% to 38.9%; he returned to ‘Let’s Get It On’ and ‘Impossible’ by Shontelle to step it up a notch and take the win.

Continue reading: Late Show From James Arthur Sees Him Seal UK X Factor Crown

It looks like x factor host Dermot O'Leary and co-judge Nicole Scherzinger showed up to the wrong set earlier this week, as the pair winded up pulling pints at Coronation Street's world famous Rovers Return pub, as opposed to getting ready for tonights X Factor grand finale.

Whilst everyone else involved in tonight's (Dec 8) live final, O'Leary and his Pussycat Doll sidekick found time to sneak away from final of the ninth X Factor series to visit one of Manchester's most famous pubs. Nicole tweeted a picture of the two on Thursday (Nov 6) behind the bar at the Rovers with the pints they pulled, with the cheeky caption "Oh... Just another day at the office!" - but judging by the standard of their pints, its probably best if they stick to their day jobs.

After the little excursion though it was time to get back to work, with Dermot heading back down to the studio to check out the rehearsals and Nicole getting ready for a few rehearsals of her own. As was the case last year, the final three acts will perform a duet with their mentor as part of their farewell performance, meaning Nicole will be singing twice with her pupils James Arthur and Jahmene Douglas, whilst top dog judge Gary Barlow will be taking to the stage to sing with Christopher Maloney. Next year, we really do hope that one of Louis' lot make it to the final to see how he does.

Continue reading: Dermot O'Leary And Nicole Scherzinger Grab A Pint At Corrie's Rovers Return Before X Factor Final

As much as The X Factor is an entertaining three hours per weekend, and we enjoy the thrill of competition, by the final week we'll be tuning in out of the fear (and unhappy probability) that the wrong person will win. This year's goose is Christopher Maloney, and while it seems more and more likely that he'll nab the prize, he is almost definitely not the person to do best out of the competition.

The runners up or third placers from seasons five, six and seven have all outdone the winners.  While 2008 winner Alexandra Burke has done pretty well, she just hasn't done it on the scale that JLS (who came second to her) have; they've taken the world by storm. Likewise, in 2009, Olly Murs- who has just revealed he'll be going on tour with Robbie Williams(!)- has definitely far outrun Joe McElderry whose name seems to have paled into the backdrop of a saturated pop music scene. The biggest non-winner success though is, of course, One Direction, whose latest album Take Me Home shot to number one in both the UK and US- they've even featured in a Forbes rich list. 

Clearly, winning really isn't everything, and if we were to bet we'd put our money on James Arthur as being the top seller and earner in the future. He's proven himself to be an accomplished musician and song writer as well as singer, which stands him in really good stead both for originality and future collaborations. Jahmene has a great voice and is likeable, but his 'sellability' really depends on future song choices during his career. Christopher Maloney may sell to grandparents, but they aren't the big buyers. We don't see him going far. Contact Music wishes all the contestants the best of luck in tomorrow's final! 

Simon Cowell has no plans for the future career of X Factor finalist Christopher Maloney, according his former co-judge Louis Walsh. The Irish music manager spoke to The Mirror about a phone-chat he had with Cowell earlier this week.

"Simon is in America working his own show. I spoke to him this week and I know he loves James and Jahmene but I don't remember him talking about Chris, no." Walsh - who has made no secret of his desire to see Maloney voted off the show - added, "Chris, who is Chris? Oh he is still there, the Liverpool guy. He has got a nan there. He is a good singer, but I don't think he is a star. He is like Tony Christie. He is a great singer but he is not Tom Jones." At one stage in proceedings, Maloney was reportedly pulling in double the amount of X Factor votes as his rivals, and it would be no surprise should be beat James and Jahmene on Sunday. "Last week in the semi-final on his first song he was good, especially if you close your eyes. But then I opened them - and he was there! Then when he did the Michael Buble song he was back to Chris the karaoke singer or cruise ship singer," added Louis.

Nevertheless, the bookmakers have Jahmene and James joint-favourites to win the show, offering 5/4. Maloney is lagging behind with odds of 7/2, though has rejected he could be the new Steve Brookstein, "You're joking aren't you? He's got his own talent and does his own thing, but I'm completely different," he told The Sun.

Continue reading: Simon Cowell Ignores Christopher Maloney And Hopes He Goes Away

The eliminated x factor boy-band Union J insist they are glad they didn't win the ITV singing show, pointing to examples of rejected artists who have gone onto have chart topping hits. The band left the show in Saturday's semi-final, though Jaymi Hensley told The Sun, "Nine times out of 10 it is actually better not to win. It is exciting times for Union J. We get the option to really work on our artistry."

One Direction failed to win the competition, though have since risen to become the biggest boy-band on the planet and Jaymi added, "We get the time but not the pressure of being the winners to really sit down and work out what style of music we want to do and make us a brand. We have got a lot of positives out of this and they outweigh the negatives." While the likes of Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke have tasted success upon winning the show, others including Steve Brookstein, Shayne Ward, Matt Cardle and Leon Jackson were all dropped from their labels. It is likely that other eliminated acts from this year's show - including Ella Henderson - may also emulate the success of the eventual winner, especially if it's Christopher Maloney. The Liverpudlian is already mentally spending his prize money, revealing, "The first thing I'll do if I win is buy my nan a new kitchen as hers is falling to bits - it's about 50 years old."

Maloney might be waiting for a long time to buy his beloved gran a new kitchen, given that the bookmakers have him as the 4/1 outsider to win on Saturday. Jahmene Douglas and James Arthur are neck-and-neck in the betting.

Continue reading: Why Are Union J Glad They Didn't Win The X Factor?

Here come the boys! It’s an unusual mix for the 2012 x factor final and not least because there’s not a single female in the running to take the crown for this year’s TV talent contest.

Instead, we have James Arthur, who has been hailed by his over-zealous mentor Nicole Scherzinger, as a true artist. A true, original artist, who absolutely does not sound like any other artist out there. Especially if you happen to be an American pop star, who possibly isn’t entirely au fait with the slew of male artists in the UK charts over the last few years, who have all sounded a little bit similar to James Arthur. And then you have Jahmene, the lovely young man with an incredible set of pipes and the worst case of nerves known in the history of the entertainment industry. Oh, sorry, no, scrap that – the SECOND worst case of nerves known in the history of the entertainment industry. That title, of course, must go to Christopher Maloney, the orange-skinned, grandma-loving Liverpudlian that has won over the voting public with his powerful vocals, his refusal to accept that the world has moved on since 1996 and, of course, his terrible case of nerves.

Union J were the last act to get the boot from the show, leaving these unlikely lads battling out in Saturday’s final. The show will be aired on ITV1 on Saturday December 8, at 8pm.

James Arthur has said that he will calm down with his partying antics and will not let them get in his way on the way to finding victory at end of the current X Factor series.

Despite seemingly being the frontrunner to take home this years crown, there is stil doubt placed on whether Arthur will prove to be the people's champion if he continues to let his hair down and continue his partying antics. However, after being spotted taking a mystery brunette back to his London home and having been snapped a number of times partying til the wee hours since the show began, James has said that he is completely dedicated to the show and will make sure nothing gets in his way as he strives for victory.

The X Factor contestant told The Mirror recently, "I've been working really hard and doing constant rehearsals and things... it is frustrating if people do think I am constantly out partying but I try not to take any notice of it."

Continue reading: James Arthur Says He Wont Let His Partying Antics Affect His X Factor Chances

James Arthur has reacted to suggestions that he's "cooler" than your average X Factor contestant after being made favourite to win this year's competition.

Speaking at a secret X Factor gig in London last night (November 29, 2012), Arthur said he didn't think he would be "embraced" by the public, but clearly he has as the British public have warmed to him greatly.

He said after teh secret show: "I didn't ever think The X Factor would suit me.I didn't think I'm the type of contestant they would normally attract. I'm just glad that they embraced me." On suggestions of his 'coolness', Arthur continued, "I don't know about this whole cool thing.I'm just really laid back and I don't impose myself on people so, maybe that's why it's working for me." Even though he's the favourite to win the show, Arthur appeared to be getting ahead of himself by teasing what will appear on his first album. "I think you'll hear a mixture of acoustic, rock, hip-hop, R&B, soul, maybe some dubstep."

Continue reading: James Arthur On Being 'Cooler' Than Your Average X-Factor Contestant

The latest series of The X Factor UK is drawing to an end, and the competition couldn't be tighter with the remaining five contestants hotly battling it out for that winning spot. However, not everyone is entirely sure who will take home this years X Factor crown.

Jahmene Douglas is currently the bookies favourite to leave the show as the winner, with his fellow contestant James Arthur also tipping him to win the latest instalment of the show. In an interview with Heat World, James revealed his thought process into why he believes Jahmene will walk away victorious saying, "I think Jahmene will win it, yeah. Because he's amazing."

And Arthur isn't the only one who thinks so too, as Jahmene has a host of fans behind him who say that he will be this years victor, including former X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson.

Continue reading: UK X Factor: James Arther Tips Jahmene Douglas For Victory; Chris Maloney Says He Will Win