The tears of joy Alexandra Burke shed on hearing her name announced as the winner of X Factor were as much for her desperately ill mum as for herself.
The golden-voiced singer from Islington, North London, revealed she hopes to forge a chart-topping pop career so she can help her mother Melissa Bell with treatment for kidney disease.
Her prize, a £1 million contract with Simon Cowell's record label, will go to buying Melissa a dialysis machine and a bungalow. Some 14.6 million viewers watched her triumph in Saturday's glittering finale, in which the 20-year-old former waitress entranced the audience by dueting with guest artist Beyonce.
Such was the response to the North Londoner – eight million viewers voted for her - that the empresario vowed to make her a bigger star than Leona Lewis, the 2006 winner. "A star is born", he declared.
Asked if he was worried about the similarities between the two performers, Alex's new boss replied: "It's like asking would you want to sign up Witney Houston, when you already have Mariah Carey. Of course you would".
Her debut single, a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah was made available for download immediately after the show and is tipped to become Christmas number one.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
