Leon laid-off

James P emails with upsetting news:

Sad news: After a glittering year, one album and two top-5 singles, 2007 X Factor winner Leon Jackson has been dropped by Sony.

He's keeping his chin up, saying "I had a great year and learned so much recording and releasing my album. Every artist knows these things can go either way" (which isn't quite true - George Sampson apparently didn't know that).

He adds that he's looking forward to his tour which begins later this year, and looks like being the most awkward bill in recent memory. He's being supported by X Factor runners-up, overly-toothsome brother-and-sister act Same Difference. If you can't picture this line-up, imagine a tenth-rate Michael Buble tribute act being supported by an eleventh-rate Steps tribute act. I'm sure it'll sell out, even though the evening promises to be half cheap-big-band covers and half the sort of performance you get towards the end of a local drama group's pantomime when the leading girl sings a duet with Buttons.

Where was I? Oh yes. He's been dropped.

Steady on there, James, people might think that this is the hate George Sampson society. Which, of course, it isn't; that's firmly behind the paywall.

Still, it's sad to hear that Leon Jackson's fabulous career has ended. On the bright side, he did get a couple of months longer reign than if he'd won Miss United Kingdom title, so it's not all bad. And it's not everyone who gets to do a farewell tour when they're still young enough to enjoy it.