X Factor runners up: Where are they now?

Fleur East may have lost out to Ben Haenow, but she's in good company. A lot of these past X Factor runner-ups have done better than the winners.

By Penny TraversPublished: 15 December 2014

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Series 11: Fleur East

Fleur East lost out to Ben Haenow in the 2014 series of The X Factor but already promises to be the next big thing. As one of Simon Cowell's acts, we think he will sign her in a heartbeat.

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Series 10: Nicholas McDonald

Sam Bailey won last year's show and recently promoted her new single on The X Factor. Scottish runner-up Nicholas McDonald released his debut album in March 2014, which was number 1 on the Scottish Albums chart and number 6 in the UK.

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Series 9: Jahméne Douglas

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Sweet Jahméne Douglas lost out to James Arthur in 2012, who then went on to single-handedly ruin his career due to bad behaviour.

Meanwhile, Jahméne collaborated with artists such as Nicole Scherzinger and Stevie Wonder for his first album, which peaked at number one on the charts. He is set to release his second album soon.

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Series 8: Marcus Collins

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Marcus Collins came second in this series, while Little Mix won. His first single, a cover of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army received mixed reviews, and the album on the whole didn't do well. He did go on tour with Hairspray and is currently at work on his second album.

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Series 7: Rebecca Ferguson

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Although Matt Cardle won series 7 of the show, Rebecca Ferguson is probably the contestant who enjoyed the most success. Her debut album Heaven in 2011 was certified two times platinum and included hits such as Nothing's Real But Love. She is working on her third album.

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Series 6: Olly Murs

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Olly Murs lost out to Joe McElderry in 2009, but that didn't stop him enjoying a very successful career. He had several number one hits, notably Please Don't Let Me Go, which beat Katy Perry's Teenage Dream to the top spot. He has also done a lot of TV presenting, including The Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack.

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Series 5: JLS

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JLS narrowly lost out to Alexandra Burke in series 5, but they nonetheless did pretty well for themselves. Their first song, Beat Again, was an instant hit, and they released four albums in total. They split up in 2013 after a farewell tour.

They are now working in TV and on various charity projects. Marvin Humes in particular took over This Morning this summer with his wife Rochelle Humes, who is part of The Saturdays.

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Series 4: Rhydian Roberts

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While Leon Jackson won in 2007, it was runner-up Rhydian Roberts who gave a lasting impression. The Welsh classical singer has released five albums, with the first one going platinum. He's also enjoying a career in theatre and TV presenting and is an ambassador of The Prince's Trust.

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Series 3: Ray Quinn

Leona Lewis, perhaps the most famous contestant of all, won series 3. However runner-up Ray Quinn also enjoyed success. His first swing album went straight to number one in the charts. He went on to win Dancing On Ice in 2009 and has made several film, TV and theatre appearances.

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Series 2: Andy Abraham

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Series 2 of The X Factor saw Shane Ward crowned winner, while Andy Abraham came second. Andy enjoyed success with his debut album in 2006, which entered the chart at number two. His second, third and fourth albums sadly weren't as popular and he finished last in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008.

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Series 1: G4

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In the first ever series of The X Factor in 2004, classical-based band G4 lost out to Steve Brookstein. They released three albums before splitting up in 2007 due to disagreements. In November 2014, they announced they were reforming, minus Stiff, who is concentrating on his opera career.

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