LEON WINS X-FACTOR
More than 12 million people tuned in to see former Explorer Scout Leon Jackson crowned the X Factor winner. After 18 long weeks of auditions and live performances, Leon beat over 150,000 hopefuls to the top spot, and now looks set to be Christmas Number One.
Leon, from Whitburn, a small former mining town in West Lothian, beat the bookmaker’s favourite, Welsh tenor Rhydian Roberts, to the reality show title.
In the past few months heavy work commitments have meant he has been unable to attend Network meetings, but he is still a keen supporter of his old Group and Scouting.
Ron Brown, Leon’s former Scout Leader, said: ‘We are hoping he will visit us once his feet hit the ground. We are hoping to get him to come along to the Scout Group to talk to us about the whole experience.
‘His win is a great achievement, not only for the town but also the youngsters here. Leon is an all-rounder, he loves playing football as well as being a Scout. He has a great attitude and was a first class Scout, I couldn’t fault him.
‘Leon is very versatile, which worked in his favour. The town held a large screening at the local academy school every Saturday night, and on the night of the final the place was pandemonium.
'His whole life has changed in the last few months, and on the final night he definitely gave his best performance of the series. He got some great support from his fellow contestants. The confidence and experience he’s gained has been huge. I am definitely going to buy his single.’
Leon's single, a rewritten version of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston's When You Believe, is out now.