First ever 'X Factor' winner hits out at Cowell

The first ever winner of 'X Factor' has hit out at the makers of the show.

Steve Brookstein says it builds ordinary people up, only to knock them down again.

Brookstein has fallen into relative obscurity since winning the contest in 2004.

He says his mentor, Simon Cowell, forgot about him once the cameras stopped rolling.

"Simon was launching a TV show so that took priority," said Brookstein. "He wasn’t really that concerned that my career happened."