This morning I am faced with the stark realisation, that after months of booked up weekends (Strictly followed by X Factor, followed by The Thick Of It), I have to get myself a life.

Joe is now the X Factor Dauphin - his sweet and mild manners, toothy grin and ill fitting wardrobe endeared him to the British public - while cheeky chappy Olly has only his bromance with Robbie Williams to comfort him today, as he prepares to be branded with the moniker  ’ X Factor Runner Up 2009′ for innumerable Christmas panto posters to come…

Of course, the victory should have gone to Miss Frank, who were the only contestants that made their soulful and raw ballads sound vaguely innovative with impromptu MCing and without looking like a carbon copy of The Saturdays / Girls Aloud / Sugababes etc. If the holy grail of the show was ‘making a song your own’ and avoiding sounding like a ‘wedding singer’, then there really was no competition. And if they weren’t your secret favourites, there was always Rachel Adedji, whose directional hair and gravelly vocals really didn’t deserve to lose out to Lucie Jones, Danyl Johnson and THOSE twins.

With 62% of the 10 million votes cast over the weekend, the future looks suitably shiny for Britain’s very own Zac Efron.

Perhaps more deservedly, over on the BBC veteran footballer and all around good guy Ryan Giggs beat Jenson Button to be crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, only the fifth footballer to be awarded the prize.

Clean living, modest and hard working - Ryan, who at 36 is about 1000 years old in footballer terms - saw a collective ‘aww’ from the nation with his oh-so-humble acceptance speech:

“If I wasn’t nervous enough, my heroes are here: Seb Coe and Michael Johnson. Honestly this is unbelievable. This is a shock as you can tell by the speech I prepared.”

Clearly, the Beeb needed to deliver some good news, after Strictly’s shock result with Ali Bastian of Hollyoaks and The Bill being booted off the show, despite getting straight 10s for one of her dances. Outrageous. Clearly the British public enjoyed the haphazard stylings of sports reporter Chris Hollins.

To finish on a high note, ‘I Dreamed a Dream: The Susan Boyle Story’ closed off ITV’s evening of Simon Cowell programming - with Piers Morgan hosting as SuBo performed with famous fans, including Elaine Paige. Performing songs from her best selling album, including Wild Horses her debut single, Susan looked suitably overwhelmed if not uncomfortable as she was trussed up in floor length beaded evening wear and plastered in make up. 

And while the sneering non-believers chastise us reality- TV devotees, it is not the case that Cowell was last night’s real winner, but rather us, the viewers.

 

Ps. Do see above for Olly Murs’ pre-X Factor debut…

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