Joe takes X Factor crown
Favourite Joe McElderry has won the coveted X Factor title and a life-changing recording contract.
Sunday, 13 December 2009
The 18-year-old student from South Shields won the eagerly-anticipated final, beating Olly Murs in a public vote.
McElderry beat 200,000 applicants to The X Factor and more than 10 million public votes were cast.
He hugged his mentor, fellow Geordie Cheryl Cole, and said: "I can't even speak, thank you so much everyone."
He added: "I can't actually speak and I just want to say thank you to Cheryl, she's been an amazing mentor."
He also thanked the other judges and everyone who voted for him.
Cole told him: "I feel over the moon, I'm absolutely delighted. The right person won. I'm so proud of you. The North East are going to be going mad."
McElderry's single, The Climb, will be available for download from midnight and will be in shops on Wednesday.
Simon Cowell told McElderry he was "gutted for Olly" but "thrilled for you because you're brilliant".
It was Cole's second victory in a row, after mentoring Alexandra Burke in last year's competition.
Sir Paul McCartney appeared on the final show singing Drive My Car with McElderry, Murs and this year's other 10 X Factor finalists.
Asked for his views on the final pair, Sir Paul said: "I think they're both good, you know, one of them's going to win."
'The Climb'
Earlier, McElderry's performance of The Climb left Cole wiping tears from her eyes.
"Whatever happens, Joe, you've been an absolute - not only a pleasure to listen to, a pleasure to work with," she said, with her voice breaking.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you and I hope tonight you achieve your dreams."
Cole said it took her back to when she started in her career.
McElderry, the youngest of this year's final three, said it was an emotional song which "means everything about what's gone on in the past couple of months".
Murs' version of The Climb "answered every criticism" that he was a performer more than a singer, his mentor Cowell said.
"This is why we make the show, it's to give people like you a break," he said.
Both Cole and Minogue said he sang in a voice "we've never heard before" while Walsh said it would be "a massive hit".
Earlier, the final 12 wannabes all returned to open the show with their version of Never Forget, which involved McElderry and Murs - two good friends - walking on to the stage with their arms around each other's shoulders in matching white suits.
Last year's winner Alexandra Burke, who performed with 2008 runners-up JLS, described The X Factor as the "best experience of your life" and said she had had a fantastic year.
It also emerged that Cowell is eyeing Robbie Williams, who has made several appearances on the show this year, as a potential extra judge for 2010.
He told The People: "Robbie would make a good judge. He is fun, he has got good instincts, he doesn't take himself too seriously and he is a fun guy to be around."
Missed The X Factor final? To have your say and catch up on previous episodes, visit The X Factor.
© Press Association