"Rebecca's Fans Angry Over Jammed Phone Lines"

THE nail-biting X Factor final drew such a huge audience voting lines were blocked for a while.

Angry viewers flooded the ECHO with calls saying they could not get through to vote for Rebecca Ferguson.

Other frustrated fans posted comments about the delay on Facebook on Sunday night.

ITV bosses were expecting an audience of 20m viewers on Sunday after a record 15.4m tuned in on Saturday night to see Cher Lloyd booted out.

Carol Fitzgerald, 65, from Melling, said: “It took me about five attempts until I managed to get through.

“My mate’s mum phoned her and said she was trying to vote for Rebecca but it was as if her phone was broken.

“I think Rebecca should have won.”

Bar manager Paul German said customers at Reform, in Victoria Street, struggled to vote for their favourite.

He said: “There were easily 30 people in the bar who were trying to vote for Rebecca and they all could not get through. I even rang people who were at home but they said they weren’t able to vote either.”

An ITV spokeswoman said it was not the sheer weight of calls which caused the delay but jammed mobile phone networks.

She added: “There were absolutely no problems with the vote. Mobile networks were very busy.”

The run of results over the course of the series revealed Matt Cardle won 11 out of the 12 weekly public votes.

Painter Matt, whose dad Dave was born in Kirkdale, wept after beating runner-up Rebecca.

Bookies’ favourite Matt won the dream £1m recording contract despite being on medication for a throat infection. He sobbed: “I’m so happy”.

Matt’s winner’s song, When We Collide, which he sang on the final, was predicted to be Christmas number one.

The track was written and originally recorded by Biffy Clyro under the title Many Of Horror.

"Rebecca Speaks to Liverpool Echo"

Liverpool X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson on fame, Christina Aguilera & Cheryl Cole

Dec 14 2010 by Tina Miles, Liverpool Echo

JUBILANT Rebecca Ferguson today told the ECHO her dreams of fame and fortune were far from over.

The X Factor runner-up spent yesterday meeting with management to determine her future singing career and talk about potential record deals.

She took time out to rubbish rumours that Christina Aguilera had tried to upstage her and stole some of her lines during their duet.

And today Rebecca thanked her fans for their support but begged them not to feel sorry for her after she came second to Matt Cardle.

The mum-of-two revealed she was given a massive boost afterwards by her mentor Cheryl Cole.

She said: “Cheryl said I’m still going to have a career and I’m going to be fine, which was really lovely.

“It was a shock to be in the final two because One Direction were such lovely boys and had a lot of support.

“When I look back I wish I would have relaxed more. Every week I thought I was going and after all that stress I was in the final.”

The 24-year-old also defended Cheryl after some viewers claimed the X Factor judge had ignored Rebecca for weeks in favour of rivals Katie Waissel and Cher Lloyd.

Rebecca said she understood 17-year-old Cher needed guidance from her mentor.

She said: “I felt when Cher arrived there was a big buzz because she was amazing. Everyone got excited because she was young, she was different and she could rap.

“But Cheryl has been really supportive to me. Cher is a lot younger than me. I always felt I could go into Cheryl’s dressing room and have a good gab. She reminds me of a normal Liverpool girl. I like to think we’ll stay in touch.”

Cheryl’s Girls Aloud bandmates, Runcorn singer Nicole Roberts and Kimberley Walsh, who had been in the audience for Sunday's final, rushed backstage to console their pal as soon as it was announced painter-decorator Matt had won.

But Liverpool’s down-to-earth girl was busy getting masses of hugs from her children Lillie May, six, and Karl, four.

The former Gateacre Comprehensive pupil said: “I spent time with my babies and my mum and my family.

“It was an amazing night. I think we were all happy to be in the final. We all agreed we were winners and our lives have changed now.

“People were saying they were sorry I didn’t win. They were expecting me to be gutted, but I’m just so happy I made it this far.”

The Anfield singer, who auditioned for the X Factor for the third time in March, said her highlight was being paired with Christina Aguilera to sing Beautiful.

She said: “She’s an amazing artist. I was so starstruck. I still can’t believe I got to sing with her.

“We rehearsed it through and I was worried I would sing her lyrics so she said we would work it out on stage. She told me to keep eye contact with her.

“I thought she was really sweet. I liked her. Don’t get me wrong she was a professional but at the same time she didn’t have to record a good luck message for me.”

"Sweet Rebecca Ferguson is Runner-Up in X Factor Final"

Liverpool mum-of-two comes 2nd in contest

Rebecca Ferguson came 2nd on The X Factor

The X Factor 2010 was won by Colchester's Matt Cardle tonight but Rebecca Ferguson was a worthy runner-up.

Mum-of-two Rebecca, 24, was delighted that she got to duet with Christina Aguilera on Saturday night.

The shy singer, who sang with her eyes on the floor when she first auditioned, has been transformed into a confident and polished performer.

Louis Walsh is as big a fan as mentor Cheryl Cole and Rebecca is loved as one of the nicest contestants ever.

'With people from the house slagging me off, there was nowhere I could drop my guard,' Katie Waissel revealed.

'There were two people I liked and trusted: Mary and Rebecca. They are the loveliest people.'

One Direction - teenagers Harry Styles, 16, Niall Horan, 17,
Louis Tomlinson, 18, Liam Payne, 17, and Zayn Malik, 17 - were placed
third in the contest.

Rebecca: 'I can't wait to treat my kids'

Sunday, December 12 2010, 9:19am EST

By Colin Daniels, Entertainment Reporter

Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has admitted that she can't wait to treat her two children for Christmas.

The singer, who performed 'Beautiful' with Christina Aguilera on last night's show, revealed that she plans to get them presents she couldn't afford this time last year.

"I want to buy some Christmas presents for my children," she said. "I wanted to buy Lily a proper wooden dolls' house last year but I couldn't afford it so I'd like to get her one of those. And for Karl I'd like one of those little electric cars that he can drive around the garden. It will be lovely to spoil them."

Speaking of the competition, she added: "I've had a couple of bad weeks but now we're in the final week I've realised I do really, really want to win. It would just make all the hard work worth it. I'd love to buy my mom a little house, a bungalow or something, if I could ever make enough money.

"I am starting to think I'd quite like a boyfriend. I've been single for a while now and it would be nice to have someone in my life, if I met someone and if I'm not too busy! It would be nice, wouldn't it? I think I'm ready for that."

"Click-Liverpool Will be Waiting"

Liverpool will be waiting with baited breath on Sunday night to see if Scouse songbird Rebecca Ferguson will be crowned winner of the X Factor.

The 24-year-old earned her place in the final three of the competition with two stunning performances on Saturday night’s live final.

The mum-of-two gave dueted with American superstar Christina Aguilera to sing ‘Beautiful’.

After the second performance, a clearly starstruck Rebecca told X Factor host Dermot O’Leary: “I’m made up!

“That was amazing.”

The Anfield born singer was cheered on back in her home town by a crowd of thousands during the first live final.

Wag Coleen Rooney hosted an outside broadcast from the city’s BT Convention Centre, within the Echo Arena complex.

Following teen rapper Cher Lloyd’s departure, Rebecca will now battle it out with painter and decorator Matt Cardle and boyband One Direction to win the competition and land the coveted recording contract.

Speaking ahead of the final, Rebecca said: “I’m just going to give it my best shot.


“I believe everything happens for a reason.

“If it’s meant to be, I’ll win. If it’s not, I won’t.”

"Press Association -"Three Acts Fight for the XFactor Crown"

Three acts fight for X Factor crown

(UKPA) – 1 hour ago

Former painter and decorator Matt Cardle, boy band One Direction and Liverpudlian Rebecca Ferguson will battle it out to win this year's X Factor crown.

The three acts polled the most viewer votes in Saturday night's live show, leaving teen singer Cher Lloyd to bow out of the contest.

The 17-year-old from Malvern, Worcestershire, who was the bookies' outsider to win, took her defeat with grace.

After the result was announced by host Dermot O'Leary, she said: "Thank you to everybody who ever, ever believed in me."

Bookmakers Betfair earlier put Cardle at evens to win ahead of Ferguson at 3-1 and One Direction at 4-1.

During Saturday's show, Lloyd sang a duet with Black Eyed Peas star Will.i.am, including the band's songs Where Is The Love and I Gotta Feeling. Saying her goodbyes, she declared their number her favourite moment.

Judge Dannii Minogue said: "Your music is definitely niche, it's not something we've had on the X Factor before and you've stuck to that."

Cardle, 27, from Colchester, Essex, was first to perform singing Dido's Here With Me while strumming away on the guitar. He also sang Unfaithful with Rihanna, who said afterwards: "He's amazing, he's adorable".

Mother-of-two Ferguson took on Like A Star by Corinne Bailey Rae while standing on a rotating podium.

Quintet One Direction sang their own version of Sir Elton John's Your Song.

"Perez Hilton Just Loves Rebecca"

X Factor: Rebecca Ferguson For The Win!

What t is so special about Rebecca Ferguson is that not only is she very talented, but she is also such a sweet girl!

You WANT good things to happen to her! And we think they will!

Time and time again, Rebecca Ferguson has proven that she deserves to win X Factor.

She has not given one bad performance!

Week after week she's delivered! And Saturday night was no exception!

Her voice is so special, it just connects with your soul, and Rebecca showed that off so wonderfully with her performance of Just Like The Star and her collaboration with Christina Aguilera on Beautiful.

P.S. Matt Cardle just didn't do it for us last night. He's talented, definitely, but he's never done it for us.