Steve Brookstein offers advice to Leon

Original X Factor winner Steve Brookstein has warned this year's victor Leon Jackson that he will have to "swallow his pride" if he wants to avoid upsetting Simon Cowell.

Steve, who was dropped by Cowell's record label eight months after he won the first series in 2004, revealed that the music mogul was unhappy when he refused to do "cheesy things".

"[Leon] has got to be careful - he doesn't want to fall out with Simon Cowell," Brookstein told This Is Aberdeen. "They tried to get me to do a lot of cheesy things I wasn't happy with when I was working for him and I said no. I was too long in the tooth for some things but maybe Leon should swallow his pride."

Citing one example, Brookstein continued: "They tried to get me to do a competition to sing at someone's workplace. But I said people should see me at a gig - I didn't want to sing for Mavis at Asda. But I would probably tell Leon to get down to checkout five."

Steve added that Leon will have a bright future ahead of him if he works hard enough in the coming years.

"Leon will also get a lot of people telling him how great he is - I'd advise him just to keep grounded and keep working hard," Brookstein said. "He has got a great tone to his voice and money can't buy that. In a few years he will be a great singer if he doesn't get carried away with the hype."