£6million Louisa Johnonson: X Factor winner lined up for deal before win, and could cash in big time,

Louisa Johnson was always going to be offered a major recording deal – regardless of the X Factor result. The winning 17-year-old has been the favourite for months and record bosses spotted the her raw talent and rare vocal power from the start. Louisa – whose winner’s single of Bob Dylan’s Forever Young is being rush-released – is predicted to enjoy levels of popularity similar to 2006 winner Leona Lewis and earn at least £6million in the next year alone. Signalling the huge hopes of success for the Essex girl, Simon said: “I know I’m prone to exaggeration. "In all the years I’ve done this show I’ve never, ever heard anything like that. “You’re not human.” Grimmy called it a “smack in the face” and said she was already acting like an ‘artist’
And whatever the result, Reggie ‘n’ Bollie had also been lined up with a deal to release a single. Hours before the result was announced, a source revealed: “Either way both acts would have released at least one song. “There is a lot of interest in both Louisa and the boys – they will both work with labels within the Sony family.” READ MORE: X Factor star praised with compliments during finals performance This year’s X Factor has been a ratings flop, with show aides desperate to point out a growing number of viewers are watching on catch-up rather than live. The first part of the final, screened on Saturday, limped in with 5.9 million viewers, a drop of more than two million on last year’s show, which drew 8.1 million.
This is a far cry from the glory days of 2010, when a staggering peak audience of 17.7 million tuned in to see Matt Cardle crowned champion. The pain of the plummeting figures was compounded for show boss Simon Cowell by BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing semi-final drawing 9.4 million, in its earlier slot from 6.50pm. Bookies William Hill installed Louisa as the joint favourite to win after the first show aired back in August, giving her odds of 5-1.