X Factor's Leon Jackson claims the coveted Christmas number one spot - as he splits with his lover

But yesterday X Factor winner Leon Jackson scooped the Christmas Number One spot - the third time in a row it has gone to a contestant on the ITV reality show.

The former Gap sales assistant, from West Lothian, sold more than 275,000 copies of his debut single When You Believe.

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The 18-year-old may be celebrating the number one spot but his love life has taken a backseat since his rapid rise to fame.

Despite rumblings of a possible relationship between the 18-year-old Scot and fellow contestant Emily Biggs from girl band Hope, Leon says he doesn't want the "distraction" of a girlfriend.

He says, "I don't think I'm going to get distracted with a lady companion. There's no time for nothing like that. Any time you get off you just need to sleep."

Jackson's record - which was originally recorded by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey - is the fastest selling single of the year.

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It was already at No 1 in the mid-week charts on the strength of download sales alone.

But the 18-year-old's phenomenal success very nearly never happened, as he entered The X Factor only after winning a karaoke competition in his native Scotland.

His mother Wendy forced him out of the family home just before his audition, labelling him a "waster" who wouldn't succeed at singing.

She might have had to revise her opinion now he has a £1million recording contract with Simon Cowell's company SyCo.

Jackson said last night: "I'm absolutely over the moon. Having the Christmas number one is an amazing ending to an amazing year and I'm overwhelmed and thrilled."

Cowell added: "I'm absolutely thrilled for Leon, what a fantastic Christmas present. He will have a terrific year next year."

Celebrity Dannii Minogue, Jackson's mentor during the X Factor, said: "It's amazing to have been a part of 'The Leon King's' success story.

"He totally deserves this Christmas number one as the nation have been with him every step of the way since we fell in love with him at his first X Factor audition.

"It's been a pleasure to nurture Leon's raw talent and I know he will deliver a debut album we will all be proud of."

But not everyone is so happy with Jackson's stellar performance in the singles charts.

HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said The X Factor now appeared to have a monopoly on the Christmas No 1.

"No one has a chance against the might of The X Factor," he added. "You get a sense that people are getting a bit frustrated." Jackson's release is the third consecutive X Factor winners' single to top the Christmas chart and follows in the footsteps of A Moment Like This, last year's festive hit from Leona Lewis, and Shayne Ward's 2005 track That's My Goal.

Alan Jones, chart consultant with industry magazine Music Week, said: "The charts do tend to be cyclical and you get runs of things.

"Every Christmas number one of the 21st century has been either a novelty, reality or charity single.

"Even though it's the third Christmas in a row we've had an X Factor winner at number one, the last two singles have done rather less well than Shayne Ward."

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Ward sold 742,000 copies of his debut to earn the festive top slot while Lewis managed 571,000 and Jackson 275,000.

Katie Melua and the late Eva Cassidy's cover of What A Wonderful World fell one slot to number two and next was Lewis' latest release Bleeding Love which also fell a place.

Up four to number four was the old Pogues and Kirsty MacColl hit Fairytale Of New York which was given a boost by the furore surrounding Radio 1's ill-fated decision to censor the lyrics.

Despite singer Amy Winehouse's personal problems the Mark Ronson track Valerie which features her vocals is up three to number eight.

Nearly 3,000 fans have complained to TV watchdogs Ofcom since Leon, 18, beat the hot favourite in X-Factor final.

Ofcom have ordered ITV – who claim Leon won by a 10 pet cent margin – to hand over all records and documents from the final, including a full breakdown of the figures.

Betting firm William Hill is already offering odds of 7/4 that X Factor winners will take the Christmas No1 spot for the next three years.