So far who’s your favourite contestant on this year's show?
Sam Bailey. Do you know what, I read all the stuff in the papers and it’s quite sad cause it’s the same as what happened to me. She’s never hidden anything from the X Factor, like I didn’t. You know, I did a bit of singing in my teens and a couple of cruise ships but that was it. I worked in the call center for 15 years! I really like her voice and I hope this backlash won’t go against her cause I feel sorry for her at the minute.
So obviously Simon Cowell is going to be a dad. What kind of father do you think he will be?
I think he’ll be a great dad. It will be another Simon, he’ll be hands on. I read something about he won’t be changing nappies but I think he will. He’ll be a great dad.
Who do you prefer, Sharon or Nicole?
That’s a really hard one; I really like both of them. It’s difficult for me because I worked with Nicole last year and she’s absolutely fantastic. She’s so down to earth. It will probably have to be Nicole cause I know her.
What do you think of everything that Tulisa’s been going through lately?
I think it’s really sad, she’s done what she’s done and I just think that everyone should just leave her alone now to get on with her life and sort herself out.
Do you have any advice for the new contestants?
They have to be very, very strong. It’s a very tough competition and it’s difficult when you know you’re going to get spoke about in the press and people are going to lie about you and make up stories about you. I was quite naïve when I went on the X Factor, to me it was a singing competition.
How do you feel, now you’ve got a single coming out, about Louis Walsh calling you ‘cabaret’ and ‘cruise ship’?
That was TV! I used to speak to Louis after the show and we used to have a joke. I used to say to him ‘why did you say that?’ and he’d say ‘Chris, you know, it just comes in my head and you’re the first one I think of. It’ll make great TV but don’t take it to heart. I think you’re absolutely fantastic.’
You were the highest voted contestant for seven weeks so what did the public see in you that the judges might not have?
Do you know what, I was just myself. People wanted to change me and I didn’t want that. I just didn’t want to turn into someone I wasn’t when I got to the live shows. I just worked really, really hard.
You were labeled a diva, among other things, while you were on the show. Do you have any idea where those rumors might have come from?
What happened was, they were talking about it and he was asked ‘who’s the diva?’ Louis turned around and said ‘I’ve heard that Chris is’ and then after that I see Louis and I said ‘why did you say that, I’m far from it’. He said to me ‘Chris you’re the first person I thought about, yours was the first name that came to mind. But don’t worry; it’ll get you in the papers’. I said ‘yeah, for all the wrong reasons!’ And then it stuck with me. It’s a shame because it’s hard to fight off.
So tell me about the new single.
I’ve worked so hard on it, with some amazing producers and writers. I wanted it to be the best that I could do. I wanted this to mean something and to give something to my fans that they deserve and that they’d enjoy. I wanted to do something that I like doing, the way I like to sing. The song is about being in a relationship and you’re in love with that person, whether it’d be a boy or a girl. But you’re not giving anything to the relationship and that person leaves you. So you’re sitting there and thinking you’ve made the biggest mistake and you wish you could turn back time.
Have you had any feedback?
Yeah I’ve had loads. James Arthur said it was fantastic. Jahmene said it was brilliant. Ella called me a legend; she said ‘you’re a legend, Uncle Chris’. Loads. Union J absolutely love it, they were made up, they said it’s absolutely fantastic. I let Rylan listen to it a couple of weeks ago and he said ‘Chris, it’s brilliant. I absolutely love it’. So I’ve had some really good feedback.
Do you have any plans for an album?
I’ve got another single ready and I’ve got the album. I just hope everyone will download the single, it’s available now to pre-order on iTunes. It comes out on the 6th October.
When are you planning on releasing the album?
I’m not sure yet, we don’t know. That’s all in the hands of the record label.
**Chris’s debut single My Heart Belongs To You is released on 6 October and is available on iTunes pre-order now. **
By Jack White