Alexandra chases Christmas No. 1

'X Factor' winner Alexandra Burke was hot favourite to land Britain's Christmas number one today after beating her rivals to the talent show crown.

The 20-year-old singer won a £1m (€1.1m) recording contract after wowing millions of viewers during last night’s final. She beat boy band JLS, with Irish teenager Eoghan Quigg coming in third.

Burke described her triumph as “the best feeling ever” and promptly announced plans to duet with mentor Cheryl Cole’s band Girls Aloud.

The north Londoner will also make an appearance on Christmas Day’s one-off Top of the Pops show.

Bookmakers William Hill and Ladbrokes have both made her clear favourite to top the chart this Christmas with her cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Burke’s chances were rated as 1/8 by Ladbrokes, and 1/5 by Hill.

Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg said: “It’s as close to a certainty as you’re likely to find.”

Burke, who received most of the more than eight million votes cast last night, said: “I am in disbelief. I keep saying to my friends and family, ’This isn’t real’.

“I cannot believe it’s happened, but I am so happy. This is the best feeling ever.”

She added: “I want to do a duet with Girls Aloud. That will happen I guarantee it.”

During last night’s show, Burke duetted with her heroine Beyonce Knowles on the song 'Listen'.

Beyonce’s appearance was only confirmed on Friday night and Burke said, when they first met, she cried on the singer’s shoulder for five minutes and told her what an inspiration she had been.

Cole praised Burke for keeping her cool while singing with her idol.

She said: “I would have hit the deck. I wouldn’t have been able to sing. For her to stand there with Beyonce and even get a note out is amazing.”

Burke said she had been reluctant to apply for this year’s show after Louis Walsh rejected her three years ago, but her family had begged her to try again.

She said she was thrilled just to be signed by a record company.

“I can’t wait to get started. This is my life,” she said.

Burke’s love of ballads has led to comparisons with Leona Lewis, who won the contest two years ago and has had enormous success in both the UK and USA.

“If I could have even an inch of her career, I’d be a happy woman,” she said.

Burke and Cole said they had become firm friends while working together and Cole described the

singer as “an inspiration”.

The show’s bosses said Burke took 58.34% of the votes for last night’s final two acts. JLS took 41.66%.

Her debut single is already available to download and when 'X Factor' host Dermot O’Leary showed Burke a copy of the CD which will go on sale tomorrow, she looked stunned and grabbed it out of his hand.

Head judge Simon Cowell described her version of the Leonard Cohen song as “incredible”.