The X Factor - Final Weekend

Finally, we have a winner and it's little Joe - a very deserving victor. Yes, I'm still Team Olly but I think it might be a blessing in disguise that he didn't win the show.

All these highs and lows…
It was a weekend of ups and downs for The X Factor finalists, with slippy shoes, frosty celebs and a bit of waffle from the judges! And while it was entertaining throughout, the final didn't seem to have the drama and excitement of last year. Maybe it was due to the fact that there was no Beyoncé-style duet or maybe it was because it seemed that the winner had already been decided before the show kicked off.

The much-anticipated duets
For me Stacey stole the show with her duet with Michael Bublé. It wasn't the song that they chose, nor just how they sang it, it was more about the fact that they seemed to have great chemistry. Michael Bublé really made the effort to make her feel comfortable, to have fun with her and to let her have her moment. The same cannot be said of Robbie Williams and George Michael.

For me, although I've always liked him, I thought Robbie totally messed up his duet with Olly. He forgot the words, seemed more starstruck than the contestant that he was there to help and then proceeded to start chants before even finishing the song properly. It seemed messy and left you really feeling for poor Olly. I was watching it almost screaming at the telly: "Pull yourself together man".

And then to George Michael, well he was just too cool to be there, wasn't he?! I felt so sorry for Joe trying to interact with him when it seemed like George Michael was intent on ignoring him for most of the performance and then when he came out with that classic line about how the poor contestants must have been quaking about meeting people like I him… well, enough said. Hate to break it to you George but they've met Whitney, I'm sure they were fine about bumping into you in the corridor. Joe was a pro for this duet though. He really pulled it off so all credit to him there.

That single
Joe will do well with The Climb. I'm glad that it was his first single and, to be honest, I totally breathed a sigh of relief when Dermot called out his name as the winner. The song was clearly chosen with him in mind and he makes it his own. I actually really liked Miley Cyrus' version of the song but it's not a track that suits everyone's style or voice. So you'd have to wonder if this business of selecting a 'one-song-fits-all' winning track is getting a little old. OK, so this has never happened on The X Factor before, but what if the final three were a rapper, a hip-hop artist and an opera singer? Would you expect all three of them to be able to release the same track if they won? It would be silly. And it's also silly to presume that every singer, although asked to be versatile during the competition, can carry off the same style as a recording artist.

I voted for Olly all weekend. I think he was the most entertaining contestant in the show this year. He's got a natural flare and energy that you just can't teach performers. But I stopped voting when I heard his version of The Climb. It wasn't that he didn't sing it well. In fact, he gave it his all. But it was clear that he didn't think much of the song (no matter how much the judges tried to convince us that he loved it!). And so, from that point on, I was hoping that he wouldn't actually win the show. I'd much prefer for him to be able to start his career with a song that he actually likes and that shows off his merits as an artist. I'm convinced that we haven't seen the last of Olly Murs. As for Joe, I'm sure he'll do well for himself too, maybe taking on a 'High School Musical'-style project or in the West End.

Shake Things Up
There were lots of little changes to The X Factor this year and I'm kind of hoping that the proposed changes (the ones mentioned in the tabloids!) go ahead for next year. I think that it would be a good idea for the judges to take an act from each category. And I'd like to see a celebrity judge on the panel each week, just to mix things up, and there would probably be celebrities queuing up for their chance to get involved judging by the amount of them who rave about the show at the minute and sign up for masterclasses. Speaking of masters of their art, how cool was Paul McCartney jamming with the contestants?

He came across as very down to earth and happy to be there – loved Simon's little joke with him too… staying with Simon, what's with him dissing very popular Journey songs every week?! What planet does he live on?... And finally, before this turns into the longest blog ever, I have to say I loved, loved, loved the performance by Alexandra Burke and JLS. Fair play to them all for having a bit of fun for the occasion.

Well, that's it for another year. The series always seems to go by far too quickly. What will we do on Saturday nights from now on?! All that's left now is for me to have my 'Seacrest Out' moment… except I don't think I'm quite cool enough to pull that off… so it's a 'thanks for reading people' instead!

Linda McGee

Check out our 'X Factor Final' photo gallery here.