Matt Cardle - VEntertainmentOnline.com

Matt Cardle Biography

The winner of the 2010 X-Factor has put relationships on hold so he can concentrate on his career.

The former painter and decorator from Essex is still shell-shocked from his win and said on the ITV programme "This Morning" that once "One Direction" were out he was convinced Rebecca Ferguson had won and he was preparing himself to congratulate her.

In the build-up to the final the papers were full of his womanising ways. "Dumped" girlfriends sold their stories to the press including Lauren Cutmore and his name was linked to Grace Woodward, a stylist who worked on the show.

His steamy duet with Rihanna when they sang "Unfaithful" in the Final was red hot and almost set the studio on fire. There was real chemistry between them and he has said it was one of the most enjoyable moments in his life.

Singing is in his genes as his father was a chorister and his family have supported him throughout his life. When he took his mentor Dannii Minogue home to Essex to meet his family his father broke down on television, saying he was so proud of Matt.

He has not had an easy life, when he was a toddler he was diagnosed with Wilms' Tumour, a form of cancer and he only recovered when he had a kidney removed at the age of 2-years-old. He lives in Little Maplestead in Essex and was a self-confessed "bum" before he came on the show.

In the post-show interviews he has openly admitted he was a rebel in his younger days, drinking and experimenting with drugs. "I never went mental but I was stupid" he said.

He left school at 16 to attend a summer drama college, then he formed and was the main songwriter for a band called "Darwyn" which lasted two years. Prior to coming on X-Factor he was guitarist and frontman for a band called "Seven Summers". They performed live on Sue Merchant's radio programme on December 8th 2009 and released a self-titled debut rock album on January 22nd 2010.

When he auditioned for the X-Factor in London he had been trying to get into the music business professionally for 14 years. His first song was a cover version of Amy Winehouse's "I'm No Good" but it was not until he sang Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I saw Your Face" at Boot Camp and made it his own the judges realised he was a real contender.

When he first came on the live show he had £50 in the bank and had to borrow £100 from a friend to make sure he had enough money to pay for his phone.

Cardle has always been his own man and had to be asked by producers not to talk to the press about other contestants when he was on the show. In his "This Morning" interview he said he had been "a bit too outspoken" about his fellow contestants and he had had a verbal confrontation with Wagner, telling him exactly what he thought of him. On television he apologised if he had offended anyone and said he was genuinely sorry but he had got caught up in the atmosphere.

He was the viewers' favourite since the beginning of the show. He came second in week 1, the final 16 round of public voting, then came consistently first from week 2 until week 10.

Matt Cardle has won £1 million recording contract with Syco Music owned by Sony Entertainment and his cover version of the Biffy Clyro song "Many of Horror" renamed "When We Collide" was released immediately after the show.