Monday, 12 December 2011

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X Factor results winner! Little Mix beat Marcus Collins to win 2011 series

Tulisa's girls pull in more votes than Liverpool hairdresser Marcus Collins

Little Mix are thrilled about winning The X Factor 2011 for mentor Tulisa Contostavlos

Little Mix and Marcus Collins battled it out on Sunday's X Factor final - and the girls won.

The show started with a performance from the 5 singers - joined by eliminated acts, including The Risk, Misha B, Janet Devlin, Goldie, Johnny Robinson, Craig Colton and Kitty Brucknell.

Marcus then took to the stage in a fab fuchsia shirt and jacket - with matching shoes - to sing his favourite X Factor song, Jackie Wilson's Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher And Higher.

Little Mix followed with their special number, En Vogue's What's It Gonna Be - a real girl power moment for Tulisa's Little Muffins, which made Kelly Rowland sob.

Both acts sang Christmas songs to encourage fans to keep on voting.

Marcus went for Wham!'s Last Christmas and Little Mix chose the classic carol Silent Night, with Perrie Edwards on lead vocals.

Guest stars Westlife and Coldplay peformed and the final emotional number of the evening for Marcus and Little Mix was the winner's song, Damien Rice's Cannonball.

Lauded as the new Spice Girls, Perrie, 18, Jesy Nelson, 20, Jade Thirlwall, 18, and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, 19, then found out they'd triumphed - the first group to win The X Factor ever.

Here come the girls!

Marcus, 23, who Louis Walsh calls 'a born little popstar', is a worthy runner-up.

'I'm really proud of myself,' he told Dermot O'Leary.

Amelia Lily was voted off The X Factor on Saturday night in the first stage of the elimination process.

A devastated Amelia, 17 - who sang River Deep, Mountain High with mentor Kelly Rowland on Saturday's show - is still proud to have come 3rd.

'This isn't the last of Amelia Lily,' she promised.

Just reaching the final of The X Factor is a huge boost to any fledgling music career. Many 'also-rans' have done well - if not better - than the winners.

Successful runners-up include JLS (2008) and Olly Murs (2009). Stacey Solomon was third in 2009 and One Direction in 2010. 

The X Factor winners are Steve Brookstein (2004), Shayne Ward (2005), Leona Lewis (2006), Leon Jackson (2007), Alexandra Burke (2008), Joe McElderry (2009) and Matt Cardle (2010).

NEW PICTURES Amelia Lily: From Middlesbrough student to X Factor star>>

NEW PICTURES Marcus Collins: From Liverpool hairdresser to X Factor star>>

NEW PICTURES Little Mix: From solo singers to hot X Factor girl group>>

SEE PICTURES The X Factor final 16 contestants settle into their new house>>

SEE PICTURES The X Factor final 16 contestants settle into their new house>>

SEE PICTURES The X Factor 2011 Final 16>>

SEE PICTURES The X Factor 2011 Final 32>>

SEE PICTURES Tulisa Constostavlos and Kelly Rowland party before X factor launch>>

SEE PICTURES The X Factor judges launch the 2011 show>>