As a tearful Alexandra Burke was told she had won The X Factor and would perform a concert with Elton John on New Years Eve, the veteran musician was telling a London audience that he couldn’t stand the TV talent show.

Performing at Greenwich’s O2 Arena on Saturday night, the flamboyant singer told the crowd that he would rather have his “c*** bitten off by an Alsatian” than watch the ITV show. Without going into too much detail on a family website, he also said he would be happy to lose his testicles in the process.

Across the capital at The X Factor’s studios in Wembley, a stunned Burke, in the arms of judge and music mogul Simon Cowell, was being told that as well as securing a record contract, her win meant she would share the 02 stage with Grammy magnet John in two-and-a-half weeks time.

Revellers at John’s concert heard the news shortly afterwards. As they were exiting the stadium, a message over the loud speaker announced Burke’s imminent performance with the man who had just blasted her route to fame.

Burke, at least, will be in sympathetic company at Elton John’s New Year’s Eve Party. The night’s other guest singer is fellow TV talent show winner – Pop Idol’s Will Young.

Perhaps the pair can draw comfort from an interview John gave in 2006, explaining that his hatred of the series did not extend to the contestants.

"The X Factor is a cruise ship show. I've got nothing against the people who go on - good luck to them. But I hate how they're treated.

"They're given an awful sense of stardom and pressure straight away but they're only successful until the next series. The record companies sell a lot of records and those people are gone. It's cruel.

"Will Young is the best thing that's ever come out of those shows. He has proved himself. But it's no way to find talent. I want to hear new songwriters, people who are creating their own stuff, not just singing my songs every week."

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