The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story

One week ago yesterday Matt Cardle won The X Factor by about a billion votes or something. He was the "winner" of each week's competition except the first week, when Mary Byrne was top of the lot. Over 15 million votes were placed putting Matt in pole position right through the contest and it was inevitable that he would win, in hindsight at least. And last night, on The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story on ITV2, we got to see the most exciting, crazy week of Matt's life unfold. 

And following the in-depth chats with the winner on the show I have a little bit of an insight into what could be Matt's career for the next few years! Matt Cardle, for my money, is "the next Robbie". I believe that he has the strongest Winner's Single in X Factor history, a fantastic personality - humble and gracious, cool and pretty down-to-earth - and not-glossy enough to be a "recording artist" as opposed to a "pop star". Think James Blunt as opposed to Shane Ward. The man's got a future...

He's also got some great friends among the X Factor finalists, none more by his side that Aiden Grimshaw, who gave awkwardly mesmerising performances week after week until he was booted off the show mid-finals. There'll be a strong network of support for Matt for a long, long time. Judging by the behind-the-scenes footage in this Xtra Factor show Aiden was there with Matt almost every week - even after he'd left the finals himself. THAT'S a lasting friendship right there!

And it seems that Matt's on the road to his first solo Number One with When We Collide, a retitled cover of the Biffy Clyro track Many Of Horror. It seems that even the cynical and spiteful campaign to get 3 minutes of silence to chart - a nasty campaign over and above the "protest buy" of last year's anti-X Factor push - won't be able to push Matt into second place... But only time will tell. We'll know by tonight. And then we'll see just where Matt takes his music. I have high hopes... and I always hate the X Factor Winner's Singles. Always.

[Matt did indeed reach the Christmas top spot - well done mate!]