The X Factor Finalists

The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series premiered on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges in June. The number of applicants for series 5 reached an all-time high with a reported 182,000 people auditioning. A number of well-established music acts from around the world, such as Mariah Carey, Girls Aloud, Beyonce, Take That, Il Divo, Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears and winner of two years ago Leona Lewis performed during the live stages of the show.

Burke's prize, as winner, was a ?1 million recording contract with Syco Music (a subsidiary of Sony BMG). Her debut single, "Hallelujah", written and originally recorded by Leonard Cohen, was released for digital download at 00:01 on 14 December 2008, with the CD format following on 17 December. It soon was announced that her single, was the fastest selling of all time.

From Wikipedia