Alexandra Burke enjoys life at the top,

Alexandra Burke is on the top of the world at the meoment, a No 1. Single , a No 1. album, fame, adulation and a bright future. She talks to the London Evening Standard on how all this feels.

She talks about her time on the X-Factor

"I mean, they do advise you not to be too professional. They say, whatever emotion you feel, just let it out. If you're acting too professional, that will be your biggest downfall.

"It's like, people on that stage are crying for their dreams. All that anger or sadness or anxiety that you might feel in the week builds up, and builds up, and then it's just that one moment on a Saturday night. On live TV. [The producers] do say: don't repress it. Otherwise you don't look human."

Her relationship with Simon Cowell

'If I don't like something you're saying, you will know about it. I'm not one to beat around the bush, I don't even let my mum and dad tell me what to do.' And Simon said: 'Alex, if I am ever wrong - which I never am - I will apologise to you. But if you're wrong, you need to learn to apologise to me.' Which is fair enough, isn't it?"

Her rejection before X-Factor

"I was told by a specific person in a management company that he wouldn't take me on because he had 'way too many' black people on his books. Like, huh? Why do you have to talk about me in terms of my skin colour?

Her fears after the attack on Leona

"I mean, I don't ring management for a security guard to go down the road but I tend not to go out very much by myself. It can take an hour or more to go round the corner for a pint of milk, so generally I get someone else to do it.

"The Leona attack is obviously going to freak out any artist. It was at a book signing, it couldn't have been prevented. It does make you nervous."

and much more.

Alexandra Burke beats Bublé, Houston to top album chart

Last year's X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke has scored a remarkable double. Having topped the Singles chart last week with 'Bad Boys' has now has beaten Michael Bublé and Whitney Houston to top the UK albums chart this week.

Her debut album Overcome sold 132,065 copies in its first week of release to debut at number one. Her first single 'Bad Boys' which is also from the album was knocked off the top of the singles chart this week by Cheryl Cole's 'Fight For This Love'.

Crazy Love, the fourth studio album from Canadian singer Michael Bublé, was at two on the albums chart with sales of 78,006.

While Whitney Houston sold 51,632 copies of I Look To You, her first collection of new material since 2002, to debut at three.


The top three albums in the UK this week are

1. Alexandra Burke: 'Overcome'
2. Michael Bublé: 'Crazy Love'
3. Whitney Houston: 'I Look To You'

Shock ! Alex Burka and Ruth Lorenzo are no longer BFFL

This is news that is going to rock the entertainment industry, Best Friends For Life (BFFL), fraternal soul mates and fellow contestants on the X-Factor Ruth Lorenzo and Alexandra Burke have had a major bust up and it looks like their friendship may be over for good.

Despite living , partying, shopping and vacationing together over the last few months it looks like the strain of fame finally caught up with the relationship.


The Sun reports

“Ruth claims they fell out because she pulled a dancer Alex had her eye on. She reckons Alex bullied her but the old green-eyed monster has been creeping in.

“Meanwhile Alex feels she is being singled out by Ruth and the others on tour because of her success.

“She insists she was never after any dancer — she doesn’t think that would be very cool. She thinks Ruth is just using it as a excuse to pick on her.

“But either way their friendship is well and truly over. They can barely look at each other.

“Both have threatened to leave unless the other is booted off the tour.”

A shame as they seemed to share a genuine friendship...


UPDATE:

What do you know thanks to one of our readers, It looks like the story in the Sun might not be true.

Our reader met both Alexandra and Ruth during the X-Factor tour and you can judge yourself from the picture below if they've really fallen out.

Click on picture for the story on Alexandra's forum.

Hallelujah!...Alexandra Burke gets £3.5m US deal

Alexandra Burke winner of last years X-Factor is following in the footsteps of her predecessor Leona Lewis as she's just signed a five album US deal worth $3.5m deal with Epic records.

All stops are being pulled out to mirror the success Leona has had stateside. Producers and writers that have guided the likes of Beyonce and Rihanna to success are being lined up to work with Alexandra.


Predictably Alexandra is excited by the prospect and gushed in her blog

Oh my God!!! I cannot believe I have been given a deal in the US!!!

It’s just so exciting and I can’t even explain how it feels. I’m just so happy, and of course so emotional!!!

Cracking America will be another one of my lifelong dreams that is coming true and I just can’t wait to get in that studio!

Good luck to Alex, it going to be tough cos the US produces truckloads of seriously talented singers witness how American Idol puts X-Factor in the shade with its sheer quantity of talent. Anyway enjoy the best of Alexandra Burke duetting with her hero Beyonce.

X-Factor finalists: Where are they now?

The talent reality show X-Factor is the without doubt one of the most watched programmes on British TV snatching unknown wannabes, dipping them in the syrup of fame and then easing them out into the wide world to fend for themselves. The fifth series of the TV favourite ended just before christmas and we ask where are they now?

The top eight JLS, Eoghan Quigg, Laura White, Diana Vickers, Rachel Hylton, Daniel Evans, Ruth Lorenzo and of course winner Alexandra Burke will all take part in the X-Factor tour. We all know Alexandra is set for bigger things but how have the others fared ?


JLS : Ortise Williams, Marvin Humes, Aston Merrygold and Jonathan Gill X-Factor runners up have hit the the tour circuits hard and are signed up to support Lemar on his UK tour over March and April. They have also signed a major recording contract with Epic Records where they will be joining the likes of Shakira, Lemar and Scouting for Girls.

Eoghan Quigg : May have come third in the competition but is first out with an Album. Having signed up to RCA records he is set to release his debut album on March 16 just in time for Mothers' Day (no it is not a cynical marketing ploy, I think). He has also found new love with 16 year old Eimer Morran after the much hyped ' romance' with fellow contestant Diana Vickers fizzled out.

Diana Vickers : Yes, she of the wavy hands. Like most of her fellow contestants she is doing loads of gigs. She has also bagged a recording contract with RCA. What happened to Gary Barlow we ask? He promised to sign her up if Simon Cowell didn't? I guess with the credit crunch talk is cheaper than ever.

Ruth Lorenzo : Ah our sexy, sultry, Spanish siren. She didn't seem to do a lot post-XFactor other than being photographed shopping with Alexandra Burke, clubbing with Alexandra, holidaying with Alexandra, tanning with Alexandra.......although to be fair to her she did do a gig this month at Toomey Motors showroom in Basildon .. the vagaries of fame, eh.

Rachel Hylton : It looks like Toomey Motors went X-Factor crazy, or got some kind of Cowell-ian "Buy One, Get One Free" offer because also on the bill was Rachel Hylton. She was somwhat late for the occasion after being let down by her driver. Chauffeurs, eh? Elsewhere she is still waiting to see if the contract offer from John Legends recording company comes through, the offer was revealed during one of the X-Factor shows.

Daniel Evans : Well he was never going to be the next X-Factor was he. No he wasn't. He's got the finalist tour but beyond that I think its back to his previous life only a now a bit more famous.

Laura White : Yes we know she was voted off unfairly, if she was so good what has she done since? Well she has been signed up by Epic records, she'll be releasing a single in March, she featured in a concert in Peterborough that pulled in a crowd of 6000, what more do you want ?