User talk:Leonapedia/Leona Lewis on The X Factor

The article
I made this page partly in response to questions I'd seen in YouTube comments sections under Leona's X Factor videos, and also because I felt there needed to be a record of which songs she had sung and in which order, etc. Leonapedia (talk) 10:44, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

Quotes from the judges, vocal coaches and guests on the show
All taken from ITV2's The Xtra Factor: The Winner's Story broadcast 24 December 2006. All interviews given after Leona had won.

Simon Cowell

 * "Why did Leona win The X Factor this year? It's very simple. She was the best singer by a mile."
 * "She is, potentially, one of the best singers we've ever found in this country. It's as simple as that."
 * "I mentally thank God the day she walked in, because I thought, here's potential" [of the audition]
 * "I remember thinking at the time, we've got a potential diamond here, and what's amazing here, this diamond doesn't know how good she is. I phoned a few people up [after the audition] and said 'There's this girl, I think her name's Leona or something, I don't want to get carried away but I think we may have a fantastic young singer.'" [of the audition]
 * "Funnily enough, because of Leona, I was praying I was going to get the young category [to mentor]."
 * "She was the best by far. Totally, totally different league." [of Simon's house stage]
 * "It was a very, very good feeling, knowing I was putting in one outstandingly good singer. That made me feel good." [of Simon's house stage]
 * "The first two weeks, I thought she was okay. And then it all changed week 3, when she sang Summertime. That's when she emerged as the potential winner of The X Factor. Something clicked that week, and it all changed."
 * "That was the turning point when I thought, we haven't just found a great singer for this competition, we've found a great singer full stop." [of Summertime]
 * "I always thought every week maybe this is as good as it's ever going to get. Maybe we've peaked here. And yet, it just, every week I have to say, no matter what we gave her: Whitney, Mariah, Celine, Elton John, she was just better every single week."
 * "It was a very difficult week the week we decided to do I Will Always Love You for a number of reasons. Number one, it is probably the hardest pop song in the world to sing because how do you get better than Whitney Houston. Secondly, as luck would have it, she has tonsilitis. So we have to make a decision at the last second. 'Do you want an easier song?' 'No' 'Are you sure?'   'Yes'.   The second she started singing it, I knew it was going to work, and I still stand by what I said.  It is one of the best versions of that song I have ever heard."
 * "She gave the performance of a lifetime. I thought it was just outstanding, absolutely outstanding, I mean, this girl wore her heart on her sleeve." (of Somewhere Over The Rainbow)
 * "What is amazing is the fact that if she hadn't of entered The X Factor, someone as talented as Leona would still be working as a receptionist right now. And I find that staggering."
 * "This was like a real-life fairy tale. Here is a sweet young girl who dreamed about being a star when she was younger, when she got a bit older she tried to get into the music business and failed, took a job as a receptionist, never complained, still had the dream, had one mre attempt, which was to enter The X Factor, and she won it. I mean, that is a dream come true."
 * "This girl is one of the best female artists we've ever delivered in this country."
 * "It's staggering that she's never realised how good she is. I mean, every time she used to perform on The X Factor, standing ovations and all these incredible comments, you'd see a question mark above her head, still wondering is she any good, and I still can't get over that."
 * "We have the opportunity to work with arguably one of the best female vocalists we've had in 20 years. So you have to take that very seriously."

Louis Wash

 * "Leona won because she had the full package. She's an amazing singer. Leona's got everything."
 * "She had this great, incredible voice and when she sang on stage - wow."
 * "She's very shy, very humble, and then she started singing ..." [of the audition]
 * "When she finished the song, we all applauded, we all agreed, it was something great." [of the audition]
 * "Leona delivered every time on the live show, every night was a big, big powerful performance, sometimes very, very emotional"
 * "It was just a moment, it was one of those rare moments on a show like this that you absolutely remember. She absolutely nailed the song." [of Summertime]
 * "It was great that she wasn't just a one-trick pony, she was versatile, a born entertainer."
 * "One of the most memorable, incredible and amazing performances to see on X Factor. I thought, this girl's gonna win The X Factor. (of I Will Always Love You)
 * "She didn't just copy Evie Cassidy or Judy Garland or anybody else, she kind of made it her own, and it was a very very difficult song to sing, but again, Leona delivered. She always delivers." (of Somewhere Over The Rainbow)
 * "I've never seen Simon Cowell so happy in my life. Ever. Ever, ever, ever."  (On Simon's reaction to Leona winning)
 * "I think the UK has found themselves for the first time in a long time a diva. We haven't had a diva here for years and years and years."
 * "Mariah, Whitney, look out, you've got competition in the UK and it's called Leona."

Sharon Osbourne

 * "She comes in with her little jeans and her little top on, and she's not overdone, she did brighten up the room as soon as she walked in ... with her beauty and she's got a great aura about her that lit up the room." [of the audition]
 * "She's unique. I mean, to find a girl of her age with her looks, that incredible voice that she has, that vocal range is, you know, exceptional, and she's got a great purity, a great innocence to her."

Sinitta

 * "I was kind of mesmerised by her, starting to realise how special she was." [of Simon's house stage]

Mark Hudson

 * "Even backstage she was a nervous wreck, shaking and frightened to death and sometimes crying. But as soon as she got out there, I think that was her home."
 * "With a voice like that, she could sing the phone book and it's gonna sound great."
 * "I think that's when Leona hit her stride. She went 'Oh, I think I can do this. I think I can do this when I'm sick, I think I can do it when I'm scared, I think I can do this all of the time.'" (of I Will Always Love You)

Others

 * "Leona has shone from day one." (Westlife member, ITV2 X Factor The Winner's Story, interviews given after Leona had won)
 * "She has a fantastic voice. You know, we sang with Mariah, it was, it was amazing, you know, Leona's up there." (Westlife member, ITV2 X Factor The Winner's Story, interviews given after Leona had won)  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Leonapedia (talk • contribs) 10:22, 4 June 2008 (UTC)