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'The X Factor' is great entertainment, but it doesn't prepare people for getting chewed up and spat out by the music industry.

My advice is, if you are going to go on 'X Factor,' you have to know who you are as an artist.

When I was on the X-Factor, I found that I grew a lot as a performer. I knew I could sing but I didn't believe in myself enough... I needed to hear that I was good.

'The X Factor' seems to be more about building up personalities and people in tears. And it's not a new idea. The pre-Beatles pop world was full of manufactured pop stars. The thing is that you can't imagine any of the artists you look back at and admire ever going on 'The X Factor.'

When you come off 'The X Factor,' you're more likely to be a failure than a success because people almost want you to fail. There's this kind of feeling that you're separate from everyone else. You get it from artists, people in the industry, people at record labels.

I didn't even know I could sing or write songs. I didn't have that education. But people shouldn't think they can look down on someone like me, because I've had the same success as others, sold the same amount of records, if not more. They shouldn't think that because I'm just from 'The X Factor,' I'm not credible or respected as much.

I didn't know what I was in for when I joined 'The X Factor' - I underestimated it.

What's amazing with 'The X Factor' is that it gives people a chance who wouldn't normally have one. I couldn't go on it, because it would be, like, me being lazy, because I've definitely had my opportunities.

I know that there are going to be people that don't like my music, but I think in the industry itself it is always that, 'Oh. you're from the 'X Factor.' There have been certain radio stations that will not play your song because you are from the 'X Factor,' yet they'll play another song from an artist from another TV show.