That Simon Cowell is a canny one. He may be mentoring the boys on this years X Factor, but he knows that the girls are the strongest contenders for the crown and so has been giving them an extra helping hand backstage.

It has been reported that Simon thinks that Alexandra Burke, Laura White and Diana Vickers could all be as successful as Leona Lewis, and the music mogul is keen to groom them for success.

A show insider told The Daily Star:

“Of course Simon wants to win with one of his boys, but at the end of the day he wants the show to be a winner and that means crowning the most talented star.

“He has made no bones about who he thinks are the strongest singers this year – the girls.”