Truck driver wins X Factor UK

MANILA, Philippines - After X Factor (Australia) concluded last month with 15-year-old Filipino talent Marlisa Punzalan as the big winner, it was the turn of X Factor UK to choose its champion for its 11th season. Ben Haenow, a 29-year-old truck driver from Croydon in South London, bested fellow Simon Cowell talent Fleur East and ultimately conquered the prestigious singing competition.

The good-looking Ben, who sent many girls swooning every time he performed, competed head on with Fleur, but eventually edged out the latter to emerge as the winner.

Ben wasn’t a crowd favorite or a frontrunner in his early performances in the show. There were days when Andrea Faustini even topped the votes in the competition. However, Ben persisted, so mid-way into X Factor, he solidly got the audience support, which turned out to be really overwhelming for him.

The night before the finals, Ben rendered three songs — Demons, originally by Imagine Dragons; Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson, which was his Song of the Series; and his Winner’s Single, Something I Need, originally by One Republic.

Meanwhile, Fleur sang her version of Something I Need for her Winner’s Single; Can’t Hold Us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis; and Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars.

Ben also musically battled against Italian balladeer Andrea Faustini, mentored by Mel B. Andrea crooned Feeling Good, originally by Nina Simone; Earth Song by Michael Jackson which was his Song of the Series; and the powerful I Didn’t Know My Own Strength, his Winner’s Single originally by Whitney Houston. However, after the Top 3 performed, Andrea was eliminated.

The finale was loaded with stellar performances from former X Factor artists, led by One Direction. The all-male group landed in the Top 3 in 2010, won by Leona Lewis. However, One Direction emerged as one of the world’s top boy bands today. (In March next year, One Direction is set to perform in the Philippines at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds.)

In the X Factor finale, One Direction performed with Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood. Singer-songwriter Olly Murs, fourth runner-up from X Factor 6, did a duet with Demi Lovato, erstwhile judge of the now-defunct X Factor US. Grammy nominee Sam Smith also made it to the line-up of performers.

Apart from Simon who mentored the Over 25 talents, the three other mentors of X Factor UK were former Spice Girls member Mel B who handled the Boys, Louis Walsh who coached the Groups, and Cheryl Cole who led the Girls. Dermot O’Leary was the host of the competition.