Talking Shop: Alexandra Burke

Alexandra Burke is hotly tipped to be number one at Christmas

Singer Alexandra Burke is the latest winner of the ITV1 talent show The X Factor.

The 20-year-old from north London, who made an unsuccessful bid to be in the contest three years ago, beat boyband JLS and Eoghan Quigg in Saturday night's final.

She is now hotly tipped to score the Christmas number one with her version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah.

Were you more nervous during Saturday night's final than for all the other shows?

Yes definitely. I was nearly in tears even before the show had started.

It's just so nerve-wracking to be on that show, but it's the most enjoyable thing to do at the same time.

What has your mentor Cheryl Cole said about you winning the show?

She's over the moon. We find it unreal, we cannot believe that it has happened. She texted me early this morning saying she's still hyper.

We really support each other and its great that I've found a really good friend as well.

How much input do you think she will have with your career?

I don't think she can help manage me, but oh my God she'll have her say in my career of course.

Alexandra says she has become close to mentor Cheryl Cole

She has a lot of great ideas and she was in my position a few years ago with Girls Aloud. I want her to give me as much advice as she can.

What can we expect from you now?

What you guys saw on The X Factor is the same person you're going to see hopefully for years to come.

I just want to enjoy every moment of this because you never know how long this will last for.

And I want to make a really good album, oh my God I can't believe I'm saying that.

I'm hoping for a number one at Christmas. I wouldn't want anything more if that was to happen, that would be my biggest Christmas present.

How will you react if you do go to number one?

I'll probably actually faint. When Hero went to number one, which all the 12 finalists recorded, we went wild, it was amazing.

But this is me now, me by myself and that for me is amazing.

I look back at the beginning of the year when I was very negative and felt nothing was going to happen for me and now we've reached December and I have a deal, I'm signed and I have a single in such a short space of time.

What made you become more positive?

My mum and my family. My sister has always been there. Every time I was low she'd talk to me.

Alexandra has been singing for years

It was just because nothing was happening. I was still gigging, the gigging always helped me, because of the experience of being on stage and having the microphone in my hand, but I wanted to be recording.

I wanted to be in the studio, I wanted to be out there. I just never knew how to do it. I was so lost and then my brother said that I had nothing to lose and I should go back to The X Factor.

Did you ever consider not doing The X Factor because some of the previous winners had not done very well?

No, when my brother talked me into it and said what have you got to lose, that was the main thing in my mind.

What did I have to lose? And that was really it, once I signed those papers with my name that's it. I literally had nothing to lose at all.

You are going to be compared with Leona Lewis - is that going to annoy you?

Not in the slightest. Leona is an inspiration to me. Look where she's come from and where she is now.

I'd love to do a song with her one day, the world should see that we are completely different.

People are comparing us, but I feel honoured to be compared to her. She is amazing and she's put some great music out there and she's bought a change to this music industry, which I in particular am very happy about it.

What is it like to be famous and an overnight celebrity?

I don't believe the words famous and celebrity. My Mum was saying this to me the other day and I told her it's not real. I'm not a celeb. I look at people like Cheryl and the people in newspapers and they're celebs.

Boyband JLS came second and Eoghan Quigg was third

I'm just really in a bubble at the moment because everything has happened so fast. It's been 10 weeks and now I have a deal, it's actually hard for me to say that because it makes me really emotional.

How have you been primed for this overnight success? The weekend newspapers have already started printing kiss and tell stories about you.

I don't read papers. That's one rule that Cheryl had with me since week one. I don't read anything good or bad about me because at the end of the day it's just a matter of opinion.

I'm so grateful for the good opinions, but I don't read anything because I want to stay true to myself. I want to be who I am and not let anything change who I am. I don't believe the hype and hopefully my feet will stay on the ground.

But are you not hurt that people who were once in your life are trying to make money from your name?

Well what can I say about it? It's negative energy that I don't really concentrate on.

What's happening now is I'm having the best time of my life, I'm on Top of the Pops on Christmas Day. Who could ask for more. I don't really care. Any negative stuff has got to go.

Alexandra Burke talked to BBC News Entertainment reporter Fiona Pryor.

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