Simon 'blown away' by Rebecca Ferguson on X Factor

Simon Cowell has revealed he was 'blown away' by Rebecca Ferguson's performance on The X Factor. The former contestant sang her debut single Nothing's Real But Love on Sunday's results show and Simon - who quit the judging panel to focus on the US version of the talent competition - proved he's still a fan of the ITV original. He tweeted: "I am absolutely blown away by @RebeccaFMusic, her album, her performance. Congratulations!" Rebecca, who wore a black and gold dress for the appearance, revealed she'd had 'the most incredible night', but admitted she'd been nervous before taking to the stage. "It was quite nervewracking, but I enjoyed it," she confessed on spin-off show The Xtra Factor. She also defended Janet Devlin's singing style, amid claims the young hopeful had become too predictable. "I love her. I think she's brilliant, she's got a lovely tone to her voice," she said. "I had the same thing when I was on the show, and I think there are so many artists, for instance Adele's one of them, and they stick to their niche and I think (Janet)'s one of them."

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.