'X Factor' reject: Flirting with Cowell boosted confidence

Latest 'X Factor' reject Ruth Lorenzo has revealed that her flirting with Simon Cowell on the show made her more confident.

The judge has made no secret of the Spanish singer being one of his favourite contestants, and Lorenzo said in a press conference today that she had gone from feeling fat and unattractive to curvy and sexy.

She said: “He’s such a flirt! It’s really made me very confident because I’m a curvy Spanish girl, and I’ve always felt overweight or not pretty enough.

“And to have this man – who is so powerful and hangs around with beautiful women – saying ’yeah, I fancy you’, it’s like, ’OK, I might not be that bad then’.”

But Lorenzo added she didn’t regret her decision to defy Simon’s advice and sing in English rather than her native Spanish – which prompted Gordon Brown to send her a letter of support earlier this week.

“Throughout the competition I’ve always said I didn’t want to sing in Spanish, because I thought it was so disrespectful for Britain because they speak English here, so that’s the language I should have sung in,” she said.

“I will never give Simon what he wants! Not Simon, not one person, not the Prime Minister, can tell me to sing in Spanish if my heart doesn’t feel it.”

Lorenzo is now backing Alexandra Burke, with whom she intends to buy a flat with after the series has finished, to win the competition.

She said: “For me, The X Factor has a winner already and that’s her. And I don’t care if she doesn’t – she is the winner of The X Factor.”

Burke is now the favourite to win the show, according to bookmakers Ladbrokes.

The 20-year-old Londoner is 5/4 to land the sought-after record deal, whilst Diana Vickers is at 9/4.

Eoghan Quigg is available at 11/4, whilst JLS are the outsiders at 9/1.

Last night Britney Spears performed on the show and Lorenzo was impressed with what she saw despite the pop princess not meeting any of the contestants, and appearing to mime her lyrics.

“I think she came straight from France. She has a frantic life. I’m sure if she had the time she would have (met us),” Lorenzo said.

She added: “She is hot, man! Her butt was amazing. She’s amazing – she can mime if she likes.”

The performance by Spears, and teen star Miley Cyrus, brought in the highest ever ratings for the show. The main show brought in a peak of 12.8 million viewers, with an average of 11.9 million. The results show was seen by an average of 10.7 million viewers, peaking at 11.2 million.