X Factor winner set to top the charts
Download copies of her debut track A Moment Like This are being snapped up by fans and are expected to hit the 200,000 mark some time today.
The singing sensation was crowned the first female winner of the ITV1 talent show on Saturday and has a £1 million record deal prize to look forward to.
Figures released yesterday show 12.6 million viewers tuned in at 10.20pm to watch the announcement of the winner — 56% of the total TV audience.
One million advance orders of single have been recorded and 50,000 copies of the download were sold within 30 minutes of going on sale at midnight.
The CD version will be available in shops on Wednesday when it is expected thousands of music fans will rush out to buy copies.
Meanwhile, ITV announced it had agreed a new three-year deal with Simon Cowell, whose firm Syco produces the show and who is one of the show’s judges, for more series.
Leona said: “I’m just shocked. It’s unbelievable. I feel like my dream has come true, the dream I’ve been dreaming since a little girl has come true.”
The 21-year-old, from London, who beat rival Ray Quinn, 18, in last night’s final, added: “There were points I thought, ‘You know what, I don’t know if this is going to happen.’
“But with the help from my friends and my family, they all kept telling me to believe in myself and keep on doing it and I did, and now I’m here and thank you so much to them.”
Her mother Marie, 42, a social worker, said: “I’m the world’s proudest mum.”
Father Joe, 46, a youth offending officer, added: “It’s unbelievable, a dream come true.”
Mr Cowell, who will be working with Leona, said: “Leona has an opportunity, I think, to become a major, major worldwide star.”
Runner-up Ray had turned down a West End stage role in order to appear on the talent show. But the Scouser said: “It’s been absolutely amazing.”
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