X Factor's Alexandra Burke: 'I won't do a Leona'

X Factor's Alexandra Burke: 'I won't do a Leona'
X Factor's Alexandra Burke: 'I won't do a Leona' (Image credit: PA Archive/Press Association Ima)

X Factor's Alexandra Burke has vowed not to follow in the footsteps of Leona Lewis - by promising to go on tour sooner rather than later. Leona - who won The X Factor in December 2006 - won't begin her UK arena tour until next spring, but Alexandra said she's already ready to go. She told the Daily Star: "I definitely won't take as long as Leona, there's something in the pipeline already for sure." This week Alexandra sang at Mencap's Little Noise charity gig in Islington, north London, and she was thrilled with her performance. She said: "My management were very happy with my performance. They were like 'You know what, you just proved something to us'. "Performing is what I'm about and doing it for such a special cause in my hometown is inspiring." And last year's X Factor winner thinks her successor should be Olly Murs. She said: "I'm rooting for the Overs. I thought it would Jamie Afro and Olly in the final - but I was shocked that Jamie went out. "No, it's all about Olly for me."

Patrick McLennan

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.