JLS: 'Cowell didn't want to sign us'

JLS have revealed that Simon Cowell's record label was not interested in signing the group after they finished as runners-up on The X Factor.

It had initially been rumoured that the band would sign to Cowell's Syco label after the programme, but they instead to be picked up by Epic.

Singer Marvin Humes told thelondonpaper: "They said they weren't interested. Well, not 'not interested', but they said how would we feel if we were signed to Epic?

"We were like, yeah, that would be crazy, especially because we grew up listening to Michael Jackson and he was on Epic."

Oritse Williams said: "He was a huge inspiration to all of us growing up, and it would have been incredible to have supported him, or even to go watch him.

"Aston [Merrygold] was Michael Jackson on Stars In Their Eyes Kids and Marvin was on the Thriller tour when he was younger."

Epic, Syco and RCA, to which Diana Vickers and Eoghan Quigg were signed, are all labels belonging to Sony Music Entertainment.