Leon Jackson-Gap Rating 4/10

He is a Scottish crooner who won the fourth series of The X Factor in 2007. His debut single, a cover of "When You Believe" was digitally released on 16 December 2007 and will be available in shops from 19 December 2007.

Leon currently lives there with his mother Wendy, who brought him up as a single parent. He formerly worked as a retail sales assistant. Jackson only started singing properly in 2007 when his friends entered him into a karaoke competition, which he won. Apart from his hobby of karate, in which he is a black belt, Jackson says that singing is the only thing that makes him happy. Before he made it through to the finals of The X Factor, Jackson had been planning to start an architectural technology course at Napier University.

In 2007, Jackson auditioned for the fourth series of The X Factor in Glasgow. He made it through to the final stages and was announced the winner on 15 December 2007, winning a £1 million recording contract with Syco Music/Sony BMG. He was mentored by Dannii Minogue. In the final, he performed a duet with Kylie Minogue of "Better the Devil You Know". Jackson was an outsider to win the competition, and his win was described as "the biggest shock in the history of reality TV betting."

In December 2007, Jackson performed with Michael Bublé at Wembley Arena, singing Bublé's "Home". Jackson said this was the highlight of his life as Bublé is his idol.

Jackson's debut single, a cover of the Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey duet "When You Believe" went on sale from midnight on Sunday 17 December 2007. Bookmakers have reportedly stopped taking bets on who will get the 2007 Christmas number-one single, as "Leon is practically guaranteed top spot".

Simon Cowell has said a debut album will not be rushed out, following the success of previous X Factor winner Leona Lewis's debut album Spirit.