Sam Bailey crowned X Factor 2013 winner

X Factor finalist Sam Bailey’s dreams came true last night as she defeated Scots hopeful Nicholas McDonald to win the show.

The 36-year-old prison officer broke down in tears as show host Dermot O’Leary revealed the result of the public vote at Wembley Arena in London.

“I don’t know what to say! I just want to say that I love [Nicholas] to pieces. He needs to get an album out as well, he’s got an amazing voice and I love him to bits.”

Nicholas said: “If I was getting beat by anybody, it was going to be Sam.”

Dermot then presented Sam with a hard copy of her debut single Skyscraper, a cover of the Demi Levato original. Sam had revealed that she’d would be releasing the track a little earlier in the evening, when she took to the stage to perform it for the first time. That performance was so emotional that mentor Sharon Osbourne couldn’t even speak afterwards.

Sam has long been a fan favourite (MarkMeets were the first entertainment site to say she would win having seen her first audition) said the TV editor, and she never appeared in the bottom two of the competition.

Sam topped the live show poll for eight out of the 10 weeks with Nicholas winning the remaining two.

Her X Factor journey kicked off with a performance of Beyonce’s Listen at the audition stage, and she blew the judges away with the power of her vocals.

“Oh my God, your voice is incredible,” gushed judge Gary Barlow. “Well done and thank you for coming to see us.”

The Leicestershire mother of two will support American superstar Beyonce on the British leg of her world tour in February, we revealed this before the show.

At the arena stage of the competition, Sam performed Who’s Loving You, followed by Emeli Sandé’s Clown at Bootcamp.

Over the ten weeks of Live Shows, she performed tracks from artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Celine Dion and The Beatles.

At 36, she is the second oldest contestant to ever win the show, behind series one winner Steve Brookstein. She is only the second winner to have come out of the ‘Overs’ category.

Scottish star Nicholas finished in second place, ahead of last night’s eliminated contestant Luke Friend.

Sam’s SKYSCRAPPER is expected to top the charts. Mark Boardman said “The winners songs this year were both hits already covered by Joe McElderry”.

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