Alexandra Burke & Ronan Keating

Proving the old adage "If at first you don't succeed...," soul singer Alexandra Burke emerged victorious as the winner of the fifth season of The X-Factor, three years after being rejected by the same show. Born in Islington, London in 1988, the daughter of ex-Soul II Soul vocalist Melissa Bell began singing at an early age. At 12, she entered the BBC talent show Star for a Night, but lost out in the final to a then-unknown Joss Stone. After leaving school, Burke concentrated on pursuing a career in the music industry, performing at various clubs and touring with Young Voices,...