Claim: Alexandra Burke won a reality television music competition in 2008.

Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke -LRB- born 25 August 1988 -RRB- is a British singer-songwriter and voice actor . Burke rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008 , becoming one of the most successful winners of the series . She has been signed to Epic Records , RCA Records and Syco Music .   After winning The X Factor , Burke released the winner 's single `` Hallelujah '' , which became the European record holder for single sales over a period of 24 hours , selling 105,000 in one day , and became the top-selling single of 2008 in the UK and the UK 's Christmas 2008 number one . By January 2009 , the single had sold over 1 million copies in the UK alone , a first for a British female soloist . In 2009 , Burke released her debut album , Overcome , which debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and spawned four number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart and the Irish Singles Chart -- `` Hallelujah '' , `` Bad Boys '' , `` All Night Long '' and `` Start Without You '' -- and the album became one of the most successful albums of that year in the UK . The singles released from the album earned her three BRIT Award nominations . The album saw the release of UK top 10 hit , `` Broken Heels '' and `` The Silence '' . `` Elephant '' was released as Burke 's comeback single in February 2012 , and `` Let It Go '' served as the second single and Burke 's second album , Heartbreak on Hold , was released in June 2012 .   In June 2014 , Burke replaced Beverley Knight in the lead role of Rachel Marron in the West End musical The Bodyguard , at the Adelphi Theatre , touring with the production in 2015 and 2016 . In 2016 , Burke commenced a 12-month residency in Sister Act The Musical , leading the cast as Deloris Van Cartier .