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What is X-Factor worth to the winner?

In the Heart of the Sea premiere - London
In the Heart of the Sea premiere - London



This weekend saw Louisa Johnson become the X-Factor winner everyone was expecting. Clearly it's a game changer for the 17-year-old, but the question is how much is the win worth to her career?

Any calculation of the maximum potential earnings has to start with the biggest band ever to emerge from the programme: One Direction.

They came third in 2010, and a combination of the extraordinary fan base built up during the show, the wild ambition of Simon Cowell, and the most back-breaking schedules in pop, mean that by the time they take a break at the end of this year they will have built a combined net worth of over £80 million (while former member Zayn Malik is worth more than £20 million). It's an incredible result for five years in showbiz.

Louisa clearly has enormous potential. Her win comes at the same time of her life as it did for One Direction, and her enthusiasm and talent may well mean she is prepared to take on a demanding schedule and hectic pace of new releases.

However, One Direction are the outliers, so it's worth looking at how the other X-Factor stars have done.
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Top five earners

The second biggest financial winners of X-Factor were JLS, who came second to Alexandra Burke in 2008. According to Now Magazine, despite splitting up five years after the show, a combination of chart success, a commitment to touring, and endorsements from condoms to perfume, mean the band are worth a combined total of £24 million.

Third, according to Now, is Leona Lewis, who won in 2006. She has released four albums (two of which went to Number One), scored three number one singles and had a further 10 top ten singles. More recently she has parted company with Simon Cowell - but not before making £13 million.

Fourth is Little Mix, the winners of series 8 in 2011, who according to Now are worth £12 million. Their money comes not just from music sales, but with lucrative merchandise ranging from perfume to clothes and headphones.

Fifth is Olly Murs (runner-up in 2009), who has combined pop success with writing an autobiography and TV presenting, and Now estimates is worth £10 million.

Does winning matter?

You could argue that those who have come second or third have done better than the winners. It's certainly something being predicted for last year's winner Ben Haenow and runner up Fleur East: who became the first contestant ever to reach number one on iTunes during the competition, then signed to Simon Cowell's record label and even before the release of her debut album had a clothing line with Lipsy.

However, the X-Factor boost seems to come to those who build a following during the show and sign the right deal. Leona Lewis and Little Mix are living proof that winners can achieve both of these things just as well as runners up.

If Louisa fulfils her potential, their example seems to indicate that she could amass a fortune of £10 million within the next five years.

The flip side

Of course, winning the show is no guarantee of pop success. The first ever winner, Steve Brookstein, picked up the title in 2004, but was dropped from his record label within eight months. He has remained in music, appearing in musicals, and releasing three albums, but has never achieved the success winners hope for. His 2014 album, Forgotten Man, failed to chart.

But what do you think? Is Louisa set to be the next Leona Lewis or the next Steve Brookstein? Let us know in the comments.

Louisa Johnson Wants to 'Work Hard' After X Factor Win
Louisa Johnson Wants to 'Work Hard' After X Factor Win