The X-Factor Wiki
The X-Factor Wiki
Advertisement
Steve Brookstein
Stevebrookstein
Contestant Profile
Birth Date 10 November 1968
Age 56
Hometown Camberwell, London, England
Occupation Singer

1

Category Over 25s
Mentor Simon Cowell
Placement Winner (1/9)
Gallery

Stephen "Steve" Desmond Brookstein (born 10 November 1968) is an English jazz and soul singer. He auditioned for Series 1 of The X Factor UK and made it all the way to the final as part of the Over 25s category mentored by Simon Cowell.

Due to the eliminations of Verity Keays and Rowetta Satchell, Brookstein was the only act left in his category. He was crowned the winner defeating G4 from the Groups category mentored by Louis Walsh.

Performances[]

Episode Theme Song Result
Audition 1 Free choice "Song for You" Told to come back
Audition 2 Free choice "Part Time Love" Advanced
Bootcamp 1 Solo performance "That's Why" Advanced
Bootcamp 2 Group performance " Ain't No Mountain High Enough" Advanced
Judges' houses Free choice "Dance with My Father" Advanced
Week 1 "When a Man Loves a Woman" Safe
Week 2 "If You Don't Know Me by Now" Safe
Week 3 "Smile" Safe
Week 4 "Help Me Make It Through the Night" Safe
Week 5 "Let's Stay Together" Safe
Week 6 "I Get the Sweetest Feeling" Safe
"If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time"
Week 7: Semi final "Have I Told You Lately" Safe
"The Greatest Love of All"
Week 8: Final "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" Winner
Favourite performance "Smile"
Winner's single "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
Against All Odds

"Against All Odds" cover

Post The X Factor[]

Following the final, his winner's single was released but missed out on the Christmas #1 due to the recording of "Do They Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid 20 claiming it instead. However, the song was the first #1 of 2005, spending a week at the summit. Until 2015, it had the lowest first week sales of any UK winner's single.

In May of that year, he released his debut studio album "Heart and Soul", which also reached #1 in the UK charts. However, success was not guaranteed since his follow-up singles failed to chart, leading to Syco terminating his contract less than a year after his win.

He released a further two albums, the former which reached the Top 200. Since then, he has used his social media accounts to criticise his treatment while competing on the show as well as after his win and continues to do so whenever there has been a new series.

In 2014, he released a tell-all book called Getting Over the X and was voted the biggest reality TV flop in a nationwide poll that included Series 4 winner Leon Jackson.

Discography[]

UK Series 1 Finalists
Cassie ComptonG4Roberta HowettRowetta SatchellSteve BrooksteinTabby Callaghan2 to GoVerity KeaysVoices with Soul
The X Factor UK Winners
Regular Series
Steve BrooksteinShayne WardLeona LewisLeon JacksonAlexandra BurkeJoe McElderryMatt CardleLittle MixJames ArthurSam BaileyBen HaenowLouisa JohnsonMatt TerryRak-SuDalton Harris
Specials
Lucy BenjaminMegan McKennaReal Like You
Advertisement