So who was the right winner last year? It was a two horse race between Sam and Nicholas. Luke almost caught up but not till the final. Rough Copy were hit and miss and Tamera was too inexperienced. Paul might have gone a lot further last year, but they chose pretty faced Sam C

Um you don't honestly think XF winners have control over their material do you?

It shows up X Factor for what it really is.

Some people genuinely see X Factor as a launchpad to get themselves out there and noticed to a larger audience. The truth is that Simon doesn't have any commitments to any of his acts. He will only keep them on his books if they're successful. As soon as the sales start drying up, those acts are history.

Sadly that's business so when people talk about the "music industry", X Factor is all about the industry and very little to do with music. Hence why UK acts end up doing covers of songs that have been covered a million times by other artists.

It proves just how much of a poisoned chalice X Factor is and that if you want a career in the music industry with longevity you need to start at the bottom and work your way upwards building up your fanbase in the process and slowly establish yourself as you go along.

Imagine if The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Elton John, Queen and Michael Jackson used X Factor as a way of making it in the music industry. What type of success would these acts have had under Simon Cowell's control?

Sharon Osbourne was the "right winner" last year. Nicole Scherzinger was a close second mind.

Sam Bailey will never be out of work shel probably end up presenting or theatre she is a great singer but she's not a global star which is what Simon wants - it's not so much about money it's more about syco having credible artists and kudos.

...but then Simon Cowell puts average acts through to the live shows. He's never going to get an X Factor winner with the potential to be a global star ever again.

People just want light entertainment which is why Stevy was popular. He was crap but he made the viewers laugh with his almost parody of a bad X Factor audition...in the live shows, and Simon just sat there smiling through it all.

Would explain why the crap contestants from previous years are always asked back for the final. Simon wants Wagner there for entertainment but he doesn't want Matt Cardle there to promote his new single/album.

I bet Stevy appears at next years X Factor final 2015 in a medley with all the "hilarious" contestants who outstayed their welcome on the live shows just because they made the easily pleased LOL.

Credible artists? No one who comes from the X Factor is classed as credible and all the artists know that. They have to work that bit harder to prove a lot more than artists who come from other labels

I assume this thread next year will have the sam replaced by ben

I Think if Simon Cowell wants to make someone a star - little mix one d Leona olly Alex etc he will a lot of people hang off his words and hype so

- Im not sure why the winners don't necessarily do well it could be a number things behind the scenes could be the fact he rushes the albums sometimes.

Misunderstanding of an artist plays a part to

Also nicey nice young people are far less likely to argue and they tend to do as they're told he looks for this in his likely winner

So why did they throw Nicholas McDonald under the bus without even trying to hide it. Amazes me how people thought "yeah he's a good singer" for the first few weeks but the second his voice cracked singing Halo suddenly people went "hahaha he can't sing".

I'm sorry. What was that they said after his performance of Someone Like You a couple of weeks earlier. Double standards!!!

The power of TV is worrying strong. It has this weird ability to brainwash the simple.

And I don't think either of those 2 would have had a sniff of winning if Cowell would have been on the panel.
I'd say he'd have pimped Luke, Rough Copy and Tamera as they are the ones who were the most marketable and maybe things would have been very different if he'd been there.

Sam can sing, no doubt, but there is no way on earth that she is someone Cowell would be willing to promote

The three you mentioned were pimped. Like crazy. I doubt the result would have been any different, assuming the same acts made the lives.

I disagree. I think RC's song choices were bloody awful and didn't suit them at all. With the exception of September and Hit The Road Jack, I thought the choices were made to show their weaknesses. Either that or the producers had no idea what to do with them.

I don't know maybe Nicholas wasn't his type of winner because he reminded him of Leon I don't know only cowell can really answer this

Simon is ALWAYS clear about 'the artist in the real world' from the start of auditons.He makes no secret of who they are in the live shows (except when he voted off SK based on a sing off with Lauren).The public never listens and delivers bad winners based on looks,good voices,age etc.

The more Simon pushes the artist he wants the more protest votes he gets against the contenstant.Fluer should have won,then we have a successful winner because he wouldnt have wanted that.

He cant argue,he knows he has the last word.As long as the artists he believes in finish in a decent position he has a base to build on their eventual success.

I still don't understand this concept of him not wanting the more successful act in his eyes to win isn't that going to make him quids in anyway!!

Weird logic lol

Song choices might have been dodgy, but they were dodgy for everyone last year. In terms of running order, positive VTs and overwhelmingly positive pimping from the judges/mentors (remember 'you are the best group we've ever had on the show'? It was said more than once) they were massively pushed.

and that's the problem at the heart of the whole enterprise. If you require a label or Cowell himself to define you as an artist then you aren't by definition an artist. It's the main reason there is yet to be any music of quality or worth from X factor

Not being funny but who thinks she's credible, no one! She had a baby that she needs to concerntrate on.

Exactly. Seeing how Paul was high in the votes for the first few weeks this year, who knows? He could have won. They don't have a star from 2013 and I don't think they will, although Tamera could feasibly do an Ella Henderson (maybe not with a single as huge as Ghost but you get my point) if she's built herself up a bit more in the past year.

I don't think Tamera will be that person. Its clear Simon wants to crack into that market place the Female R'n'B singer who can perform and rap too.

Tamera could have fit that mold with a lot of time and effort but this year Fleur is much closer to that mark if they can help her improve her vocals. Fleur is closer to that finished product than Tamera is.

Still happy Ben won (Would have been happy if Paul or Andrea won too but you know) Fleur still did well though.

I think in Simons eyes fleur is ready to go - so it's a case of signing her teaming her up with good writers and collaberations usually help - he obv wants to move his attention to someone who can be a all rounder, and as you say a R&B artist who can sing aswell as rap.

I think a couple of acts from this year will be signed my guesses would be fleur, OTY and Lauren.

Paul could be he has a brilliant voice.

From what I remember, Simon made a few pointed comments about Sam in the media even when she was a contestant. So this is not a surprise. He also distanced himself from her this year by saying Tamera would have won if Cheryl or him had been mentoring her.

Syco will drop her sadly. I think circumstances have prevented Sam from being able to develop her career. Getting pregnant,. giving Birth it all came at the wrong time in terms of the progression she was hoping to make in her career.

At the same time The X factor has changed her life and overall i would say she will be better off for winning.

I hope Syco do things right and proper and if they are to drop her, they atleast tell her to her face rather than leak it in a newspaper.

Ben Haenow will be next to get dropped long term!

I'm really surprised her only single was a year ago??! Then released an album of covers and now they're releasing a deluxe edition of the same album? And then they wonder why she has got disappointing ticket sales....
I wonder if she does get dropped will she still be allowed to do her tour?