Leona, Ray and the three X Factor judges have been interviewed just days before the final, here is what they said.

Do you ever worry it might be a case of here today, gone tomorrow, regardless of whether you win or not?

Ray: “I haven’t really got there yet, I haven’t thought about it yet. I just want to keep doing what I love to do and keep striving to where I want to be.”

Leona: “I’ve always sung, so I’m going to keep on singing and keep doing my best, so I will be around.”

There’s no guarantee is there, Simon?

Simon: “Let’s be clear, this is a tough lark in any case. I’ll take two artists [as example], Emma Bunton and Matt who won I’m A Celebrity. They haven’t even made the top sixty with their new records. Shayne is currently up to 2.5 million records. Without winning the X Factor he wouldn’t have sold one record. Journey South a million, G4 a million and a half. It’s the best showcase for new talent I can think of at the moment. And you’ve seen in America, Kelly Clarkson; here, Will Young… there’s no guarantee. So I would say that the future for both of these two right now is rosy.”

To all three mentors, who would you pick to win?

Sharon: “It’s not up to me to pick, it’s up to the public, and all we do is bring them the best of our categories. It’s totally up to the public. I don’t think we’d even want to go there. They both have an unbelievable future ahead of them.”

Simon: “We don’t have to involve the public on shows like this, we could as judges decide on who we wanted through week after week. If we open it up to the public, we have to respect the public’s decision. I think this is what we call the punter’s final with these two. These are the two the public wanted, it is as close as any competition I’ve ever been involved with in my life. I think there’s something like a thousand votes separating the two from last week’s, so I can’t call it. We will support whoever wins. They’ve all got strong songs, so it’s going to be a rumble.”

Louis: “I’m not picking anybody, because like Sharon said, it’s up to the public, but both of them are really good.”

Can you give us your tips for them both on Saturday?

Louis: “They know what they have to do already.”

Simon: “Go in there with a desire to win. The public have to decide. There are going to be five or six million new voters on Saturday night who haven’t voted in previous shows and they’re going to go for the top performance on the night. They’re both fully armed with the best songs.”

Louis: “It’s going to be very, very close.”


You’ve been a bit soft on the contestants in the past few weeks. Are you going to give it some welly this weekend?

Simon: “I think it’s a different kind of show, the final. The public have both of them there and unless one of them sings completely out of tune, which I don’t think is going to happen… we’re not there to give them a kicking on Saturday night. It’s there to give them a bit of support.”

Sharon: “Listen, right now it is not up to anything we say, it’s totally up to the public, so all we can do is support them both.”

Louis: “Obviously, they’re doing something right.”

Is it all about the strong voices, isn’t it about the ‘x factor’ and the personality?

Simon: “I’ve said this in the past to Ray: he may not have the strongest voice, compared with Ben or Leona, and I wasn’t being disrespectful. What he makes up for that with is showmanship. And then he showed himself to be a singer when he did ‘My Way’. So it’s about performance, passion, all those things. The desire to win. That’s what the public are going to vote for on Saturday.”

Leona, you’ve got a great voice but critics have said you’ve got to show off your personality a bit more. How are you going to be doing that between now and the final?

Leona: “I think through the shows, I’ve held back a little bit. For the final I’m going to give it my all, let go and show everyone my personality through my songs. Do the best I can do through my performance.”

You’re in for a Christmas number one single release. What would it mean to you to get Christmas number one?

Leona: “This has been an amazing experience and an amazing platform for us to showcase to everyone what we do. It’s a dream come true, to get this far, absolutely amazing, what more could you ask for? I’m just thankful to everyone that’s allowed me to get to this place.”

Ray: “With all the support we get, without that support we wouldn’t be in the final. If that would happen, it would be unbelievable, absolutely.”

Leona - why should you win it, and why do you have the X Factor?

Leona: “I think everyone in the final twelve has the X Factor, and I just think that it’s up to people at home. I love to sing and I just go out there and give it my all. Hopefully people see I’ve worked really hard, and I’m trying to follow a dream. Hopefully people support me on that. They have, which is why I’ve got this far.”

It’s well known that the people who vote in these shows are mostly girls and gay men. Who do you think you appeal to most, and have you had any scary fan encounters?

Ray: “[laughs] I dunno, really, I don’t know what to say. When I went to Liverpool yesterday, it was a lot of girls, and there was a few lads there as well. Any support we get, it’s absolutely unbelievable.”

Leona: “I think that it’s a wide range of people - girls and guys. I’m really really proud. I think I’m the first female to get into the final for the X Factor so it must be girls as well… I’m just happy for whoever, and thank you to all of those people.”

Simon, does it frustrate you that one person is going to walk away from Saturday being called a ‘loser’ when you have two very talented acts?

Simon: “I guess in a way it does actually, yeah. I was thinking about that the other day. I don’t like the idea of having to describe one of them as ‘the runner-up’. But like I said before - you put this competition to the public, and if I was in their position now I’d want to win. This is important. But it’s frustrating, yeah.”

Do you think the runner-up has a future?

Simon: “Yeah, I do think the runner-up has a future. I’m not going to discuss now whether I’d sign them or not, but it’s always better to describe yourself as ‘the winner’ rather than ‘the runner-up’, always.”

Leona, if you don’t win, what do you plan to do next?

Leona: “Just to keep going. I’ve tried to create opportunities for myself in music. I’ve always saved up to do studio time, get studio time, be in the studio and record, but it’s never ended up in getting anything. So doing this, it’s such an opportunity to showcase to everyone. Keep following my heart and keep doing music.”

Ray and Leona, this must be one of the biggest things that has ever happened to you. Are you coping okay?

Ray: “Yeah, I try not to get worried, until Saturday night. Then I get a little buzz. I love it, you know. We are sleeping alright. Yeah!”

Leona: “Every day I pinch myself ‘cos I cannot believe myself that I’m here. I’m so thankful to be here, I’m just taking each day as it comes. I never thought I’d get to the final, and to be here it’s just amazing and I’m just appreciating every single day.”

If sleeping with one of the judges would guarantee you a win on Saturday, would you and who would you sleep with?

Sharon: “What are you on? I want some of it, whatever it is”

Simon: “They can’t answer that question… ‘cos Louis is going to get left out either way!”

Louis: “I’m not sure about that, Simon.”

Did either of you have any celebrity supporters or messages of good luck this week?

Ray: “We had a few, we read a few things in the magazines, stuff like that. Peter Andre and Chico, stuff like that.”

Leona: “We’ve had the opportunity to work with people on the show, so each one of them has been really supportive towards us. It’s good to have their encourangement.”

Simon: “Jamelia’s been wonderful, hasn’t she? The one hit wonder’s got all the advice.”

Who do you guys miss most from the house, and who have you been in contact with?

Leona: “I miss everyone, because we all became like a little family. But I used to share a room with Nikitta, so I really miss her. We had little girly chats. Everyone brought something different to the house.”

Ray: “Same here, really. I shared a room with Ashley the longest, so he’s always ringing and texting me, and I’m doing the same. And The MacDonald Brothers, I’m ringing them all the time.”

Simon: “Same with me, I can’t get them off the phone!”

Leona: “I think I’ve made a lot of friends through this, and I’ll definitely keep in contact with everyone.”

What’s been the best piece of advice you’ve had since the start of the show?

Leona: “We’ve had so much advice. Probably mine is that when you’re singing, listen to the lyrics and really understand the lyrics, and that’s how you’ll be able to put across a truthful performance.”

Ray: “Same with me, ‘cos Barry Manilow said to us ‘what I do to get through it is to read the lyrics before you go out there, and get it into your head that you’re telling a story’. Put emotion into the song.”

How do you think things would have been different if you’d been mentored by Sharon and Louis and do you think your personalities suited Simon?

Leona: “I think Sharon and Louis are great. They’re so supportive to us as well, they’re not just supportive to their own acts. I think that any one of the mentors would have been great to have. Simon’s been amazing, and is always there for advice. Really got to understand us as singers. That’s a good combination.”

Ray: “Good, isn’t she? I couldn’t have come up with that! [laughs]”

Leona, how do you react to Jamelia’s comments?

Leona: “I didn’t actually read it, I just heard about it. She’s another female artist and someone asked me a question about it before - I think she’s a great artist, I support her, I support any new and up and coming artist, any British artist as well. I dunno if she said it or she didn’t.”

Sharon: “Can I just ask - who is Jamelia? This is all going over my head.”

Louis: “She had one hit, Sharon. She’s a one-hitter.”

Were there any song disputes? Did Simon pick the songs for you?

Ray: “I think Simon’s got to know me throughout the show and the song choices he chooses for me are always right. So I trust him 110% ‘cos he knows me. Every song I’ve sung I’ve absolutely loved. I’ll have my say as well - sometimes I’ll say ‘that’s lovely, Simon’, but you know…we’ll chat and stuff like that. I’m happy.”

Leona: “It’s mutual, but like Ray said, Simon really understands us as singers. We discuss it.”

Simon: “We have a discussion, you know. What are your favourite songs of all time? What are you comfortable with? If anyone feels uncomfortable you don’t have to sing the songs. It’s always by mutual agreement. We’ve never had a problem.”

Leona, there’s never been a black winner of a reality TV show in the UK. Does that worry you, and would it mean more to you if you did?

Leona: “I don’t really think about race and gender and things like that. People should just look at me as a singer, hear my voice, see my performance and don’t look at anything else. Just go on that, and then hope that people will go on what they see and hear.”
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