Laura devastated at X Factor exit

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Laura devastated at X Factor exit

Nov 12, 2008

By Ian Wylie

X Factor star Laura White has spoken of her devastation after her shock exit from the show.

But she's vowed to continue her dream of securing a record contract in the wake of one of the biggest upsets in the history of the ITV1 series.

Laura, 21, from Atherton had been one of the favourites to win - but she and stunned mentor Cheryl Cole were left in tears when she was voted off.

“I can't believe it's all over. I wanted to make the final, like everybody else. I'm not angry. I feel very sad about it - but there are no regrets. I'm not going to give up,” she said.

Her mum Sharon was called to The X Factor house at 4am on Sunday to collect and comfort Laura, while her dad Adrian was “distraught“.

Just a few hours earlier Cheryl said she was “gutted“ by the exit and questioned why viewers had left Laura in the bottom two.

Judge Louis Walsh then had the deciding say, voting to save Ruth Lorenzo by sending Laura home and ending her X Factor journey. “They're definitely not voting on the talent. That's been proven tonight. I'm absolutely stunned. I'm shocked,” Cheryl added.

But a smiling Laura was in philosophical mood less than 12 hours later at a London press conference, thanking M.E.N readers for all their support.

“Cheryl was really angry last night - she doesn't know if it was a personal thing off Louis or what. But I think she's really upset because she really feels like I was one of the strongest singers and she feels robbed in a way.

“I think it's God's will. I think I should have gone because I went and that's the way it works. I think every week is going to be a shocker of a week, so I don't mind.”

Laura said she was too “sad and disheartened“ to speak to Louis after Saturday's live show and unsure about claims that both he and Simon Cowell may have voted tactically to remove her as a threat to their own acts.

“Louis has made his decision for whatever reason, so I've just got to cope with that.”

The Bolton University student also confessed that Simon's comments last week about her needing to work on her image had distracted from her music.

Due to the format of the show, she said viewers had not seen the real Laura White. “You can kind of lose your identity in a way - I'm hoping I'll get another break in my life and I'll be able to show the real me.”

Laura admitted she worried if misleading tabloid stories about her relationship with a TV executive had cost her votes.

Viewers also saw superstar Mariah Carey this week praise her “beautiful“ performance of her song Endless Love, saying she could not improve on it and adding: “I really liked Laura's voice. I thought she was very talented.”

Laura commented: “A part of me thought, 'Well, if Mariah loved it, why did no-one else? And why didn't they vote?' But I'm so grateful for the people that voted for me.”

There was some consolation for Laura after her elimination. Producers confirmed that she will be part of the line-up for next year's X Factor Live Tour. “One of my other dreams was to sing at the MEN Arena in Manchester and I know now I'll do that in my life,” she smiled.

She joked about going in for American Idol - the USA version of X Factor - but said this latest taste of reality TV would be her last. “I think I've come a long way now with X Factor and I'm proud to be on the British one.”

On doctor's orders, her best friend and roomate Diana Vickers, 17, did not perform on this week's programme. The Lancashire student was given a pass by the producers due to illness and had to stay at home in bed.

“I opened the door last night and she cried as soon as she saw me,” added Laura, who is tipping either Diana or JLS to win.

She also revealed why she had dedicated her sing-off song - Somewhere Over The Rainbow - to her grandad.

He died earlier this year just after Laura's first audition in Manchester. “But I asked for nothing to be said because I didn't want to make a thing of it and I didn't want my grandma to be exposed with it all. So I just didn't say anything.

“That's my granddad's favourite song. I used to sing it in my gigs - and that's why I sang it. And I'm glad I did because I went out and I did it for my grandad, so I was grateful.”

Meanwhile, Laura's family said they could not believe she had been voted off.

Her father Adrian White, of Atherton, said: “To be honest we just feel really gutted and a bit let down.

"We saw it live on Saturday and we have seen it again on TV and in our opinion there’s no way she should have been anywhere near the bottom two. We have had phone calls from all over the place from people who think the same.

“I certainly think there was something very strange happening on the night. Laura texted us on Saturday afternoon saying she felt things ‘weren’t quite the same’.

"The musical directors and producers are always very enthusiastic about her performances but in rehearsals they didn’t even comment, which was very unusual, so she had a bad feeling about it all.

“I haven’t a clue why the judges did what they did, Laura has been performing every week locally since she was 16 and she never hits a bum note, she’s very consistent.

“We thought she was safe because there were other contestants who had a bad night and she was showing off her other talent by playing the piano, as well as her great likeability.

“But when she ended up in the bottom two you could tell by the judges’ body language they were going with Ruth. We wish all the other singers all the very best. but it’s very disappointing and upsetting.

“For the next couple of days Rachel will be doing TV and radio interviews, including This Morning and then waiting for the phone to ring.

“Jocelyn Brown, whose song Laura sang last week, was in the audience this week, and gave Laura flowers, a gift and a card. We chatted with her for 25 minutes after the show and she was aghast Laura didn’t get through because she thought she was incredible.

“Laura is now staying in a London hotel the TV companies have put her up in. She could have stayed in the X-Factor house but we just wanted her out of there.

“She was so shocked at being out of the show – she really can’t believe how things have turned out, when she seemed to be such a favourite with such a lot of people.”

When asked if he believed it had anything to do stories that claimed Laura is romantically linked with an X-Factor producer, Mr White added: “It has crossed my mind that what happened was linked to stories in the newspapers.

"It’s so upsetting because the girl’s been working since she was 15 – six years of chasing a dream – finally she gets on he biggest stage in the country and the newspapers start making false allegations about her.

“X-Factor came out and explained that the man in question was nothing to do with the production but while the other papers backed off, some of them continued to print pictures and make claims.

“Also, it wasn’t right when her image was criticised, because they made her dress much older then she actually likes to look. She would never go out looking in the style she did on the programme.”

Source: Manchester Evening News

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