Leon Jackson has revealed plans to move away from his jazz type music and try a more singer songwriter approach.

The former X Factor winner told the Daily Record that he is happy to be working with “amazing” musicians, including Paolo Nutini co-writer Jim Duguid.

Jackson said: “I’ve been developing myself as a musician. I’m keen to show the transition and let everyone see that this is Leon Jackson now.

“I am switching genres a bit and moving from old-fashioned jazz to the singer-songwriter I love.”

He added: “I love to sing in a style that’s raw and bare. When I create a song on the guitar, it is honest and real.

“I wasn’t able to show these songs after winning X Factor because they were not well enough known.”

Ruth Lorenzo - X Factor 2008

I always knew she was a feisty lady but no way would I have predicted that Ruth Lorenzo would turn her back on Simon Cowell to sign a record deal with his biggest rival.

Ruth has reportedly signed a £1 million deal with EMI/Virgin and a source told The Sun that she was blabbing the news at the launch of Jean-Christophe Novelli’s Costa del Sol restaurant at the weekend.

A guest at the bash said: “Ruth was a bit giddy with the free champagne and was telling everyone Simon was gutted she signed elsewhere. She said she wanted to sign with him because they got along so well during the X Factor. She said she would have loved to work with him.

“Ruth says he has given her lots of advice — which she made it clear she was grateful for — and also that he had given her a lot of confidence with her singing and with her career.

“But the EMI deal was just too good for her to knock back.

“By the way she was celebrating, EMI/Virgin had given her big bucks.”

Ruth may have been well advised to turn down offers from Simon’s own record company when you consider how former runners up have fared under them in the past. Just look at Andy Abraham’s recent comments on the subject and you’ll see that it is hard for graduates of X Factor to succeed once the show moves on. Hopefully EMI will market Ruth right and stand by her past the launch of next years series, managing to inject some longevity into the rock chicks musical career.

Speculation is rife that Leon Jackson is about to cancel his UK tour after he drops out of two shows in Manchester and Blackburn.

The former X Factor winner was supposed to kick off his 16-date ‘Right Now’ tour at Blackburn’s King Georges Hall on May 5, but the gig has now been cancelled.

The second show at Manchester Apollo on May 13 has also been cancelled, and Ticketmaster is no longer offering tickets to any more of Leon’s shows.

Jackson was dropped by his record label last month and heard about the company’s decision through the newspapers. This recent news must have come as a blow to the young Scot.

Today is our lucky day! Normally we only hear from X Factor’s first winner Steve Brookstein once a year (around the time of the X Factor launch coincidentally) but he has saw fit to crawl out from under his rock this week to defend poor old Leon Jackson.

Leon was unceremoniously dumped by his record label this week and they didn’t even do him the favour of phoning to tell him. No, sad old Leon had to read the news in The Sun. Of course Steve Brookstein went through a similar ordeal back in 2005 so he decided to write in support of Leon on his own personal blog.

Brookstein blustered: “If they cared anything about Leon they would have announced his departure after his tour and not before it, they would have kept his fans informed, his website up-to-date, and not put comments from Simon into the press saying: ‘[He's a] nice guy but not gonna set the world on fire, Rhydian should have won’.”

He added: “It reminds me of his ‘G4 were the real winners!’ I’m surprised he allows the public to vote when they’ve only got it right once in four years. When they spent their money deciding Leona Lewis had more ‘X’ than the ice skater Ray Quinn. Phew, tough choice.”

Now it’s not that I disagree with Steve per se, but everything he says these days just comes across as sour grapes and he always did have a mammoth chip on his shoulder. I therefore find it hard to take him seriously and if he really cared about his music and not about securing column inches, he would get on with singing instead of bitching. It really is getting tiresome now!

Rhydian Roberts has come out in support of his former X Factor star Leon Jackson who was dropped by his record company last week.

“Leon is a great guy. I wish him well and I’m sure he’ll do fine in the future,” Roberts told the Daily Record.

“People are always trying to see if there is any conflict between us or whether we are still in competition. There probably was competition in The X Factor because that’s what it was all about. But Leon is a gent and he won fair and square.

“It was a real shame he was dropped and I feel for him. But I don’t think he needs to worry. He’ll always have work as a singer.”

Former X Factor winner Leon Jackson has been dropped by his record label after only one album.

Leon released his debut album last autumn and went on to sell only 130,000 copies. In contrast the series runner up Rhydian Roberts sold a whopping 500,000 copies of his classical record.

A source close to Simon Cowell told The Sun: “He thought the most talented person should have won. That was never Leon and what has happened since has proved him right. Leon’s a good lad, but he’s definitely not set the world alight.”

Leon said: “I had a great year and learned so much recording and releasing my album. Every artist knows these things can go either way.

“I’m really looking forward to my tour and doing more writing.”

Same Difference, the cheesy pop duo, who almost won last years X factor are finally releasing their first single, which you can watch above.

I think its a really catchy tune and certainly better than Leon Jackson’s effort last month. It’s everything you would expect from these perpetually happy siblings and they really don’t disappoint.

Fans of the pair can buy the single (it’s only £2 quid!) by clicking on the link below!

X Factor winner Leon Jackson has admitted that he is dating Emily Biggs from girlgroup, Hope.

The pair met on last years show when Emily’s band Hope competed with Leon for the shows title.

“We are dating. It is a very recent thing so I’m sorry to break everybody’s heart,” Jackson told the Daily Record.

“We’ve been friends since the show and have always kept in touch. Now she lives quite near me so it’s great because we have got to really know each other,” said Jackson.

“We just thought we were good friends and thought, ‘Why not cross that line?’”

He added: “I’ve always thought she was pretty. It’s cool. It’s different. We just chill at each other’s flats and go to the cinema. Sometimes we go out into town and she drags me round the shops.”

Simon Cowell is said to be tipping last years X Factor winner, Leon Jackson as the new Robbie Williams. I can’t see it myself!

Leon, 19, told The Daily Star: “Simon is over the moon with my new album and has been saying I’m a cross between Michael Buble and Robbie Williams. I’m like: ‘Calm down, Simon’.

“I didn’t worry that I didn’t capitalise on the success of the show by getting an album out straight away. I didn’t want to rush out a collection of covers.

“Leona Lewis is a prime example of what happens if you dedicate time and care and don’t rush. It’s possible to rival the top people if you get it right and that’s what I want to do.”

The long-awaited and marginally hyped second single from Leon Jackson is hitting the stores in October.

Let’s just remind ourselves of what we said last Christmas when Leon was storming the charts in a blaze of X Factor-led publicity.

Is it possible that Leon may be about to wipe the smug grin off our record-reviewing faces?

Certainly, from what we’ve heard of the song via YouTube (below), he’s managed to bag the overblown power ballad that we always expected Leona Lewis would get.

The peeps behind this have thrown everything at it – big, Christmassy chimes, the full orchestral arrangement and overblown chorus.

And in fairness to the lad, he’s got an amazingly smooth voice on this track. Surprised? We were. OK, it’s not the most original of songs, but Don’t Call This Love has a kind of timeless charm to it. We might officially have to eat our words, because this just might be a big hit.

Finally, kudos to the marketing department on the very grown-up makeover they’ve given Leon.

We expect to see a major push when the X Factor live shows commence…in October.

Don’t Call This Love is available for digital download on 11 October and in the stores on 13 October.