Former painter and decorator Matt Cardle has spoken of his "shock" after being crowned the winner of this year's X Factor.
The 27-year-old said he still felt "numb" after the announcement of his victory over fellow finalist Liverpudlian Rebecca Ferguson in a closely fought contest, watched by a record audience of almost 20 million viewers on Sunday night.
"It was so shocking that it made me numb straight away and I have not really got the feeling back yet," he told ITV1's Daybreak.
He added: "I am still in a bit of a spin about the whole thing. I said to someone earlier 'it will probably sink in next Christmas when I watch somebody else win and I say oh, I did that last year'. It is just crazy."
Cardle, from Colchester, Essex, paid tribute to Ferguson and to One Direction, the five-piece boy band who were third place runners up.
"She (Ferguson) is literally one of the sweetest girls you could ever ask to meet in your life," he said. "She is amazing. One Direction, I feel for them, they worked so hard, so hard for the entire show, they both deserve everything."
On Sunday night Cardle appeared overwhelmed as his name was called out by host Dermot O'Leary. He said: "I just want to say thanks so much from the bottom of my heart and congratulations to everyone who got to this stage because I'm so proud, everybody should be so proud. There's not enough time to thank everyone, thanks to all the judges and especially Dannii (Minogue)."
Ferguson was graceful in defeat, declaring: "I'm so grateful, Matt is amazing, I'm happy I got this far."
Cardle won high praise from all four judges for his strong performances and "sensational" vocals throughout the competition.
HMV's spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said Cardle had wide appeal and was a credible performer. He said: "With his distinctive voice and down-to-earth blokeiness, the key to Matt's success is that he appeals to fans of all ages and backgrounds.
