Cowell warns 'X Factor' winner may flop

Simon Cowell has admitted that The X Factor cannot guarantee a long-term music career for its winners.

The show's judge warned that this year's champion will have as much chance of being a flop as they will of securing a viable future in pop.

Speaking to The Sun, Cowell revealed: "We can't guarantee that they will be an international star. There is a 50/50 chance that they are going to make it. Sometimes it doesn't work.

"The music business is hard. Trying to find a star with long-term appeal is not an easy job. But they will have a better chance of being a star after being on this show."

The programme's original winner Steve Brookstein and 2007's champ Leon Jackson were both dropped by Cowell's SyCo record label after just one album.

He continued: "Yeah we don't always get it right. People can give an amazing performance on the show but then they can't get the whole career thing right. It's disappointing but it's out of our hands - it comes down to the public whether or not they like them after the show.

"If the public don't like someone for whatever reason, then we try and learn from that situation and make sure that we don't hire people like that again."

Cowell still works with The X Factor's other three winners Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke.