CYRUS WINS THE X FACTOR!

Cyrus wins The X Factor! Photo: Seven

19-year-old Cyrus Villanueva has won The X Factor 2015. The teenager from Wollongong, NSW, beat Sydney duo Matt and Jess, both 24, and Mount Gambier, SA, mum Louise Adams, 31, to the crown, securing a recording contract with Sony Music Australia.

Going into the finals, Chris Isaak’s protégé was the hot favourite, avoiding ever landing in the bottom two on elimination nights with his consistent, soulful showings—including an iTunes chart-topping cover of Isaak’s 1989 hit Wicked Game.

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"I can't thank everyone enough, honestly!" Cyrus said after finding out he had won. The young star in the making was especially thankful to his mentor. "Chris, I couldn't have had a better mentor than you," he admitted.

The youngest finalist-turned-heartthrob, who insists he's single, only began performing last year at small gigs around his hometown and deferred studying graphic design at university to pursue his musical aspirations on Seven’s singing show.

Finalists Cyrus and Louise perform a duet of U2's 'One Love' at the finale. Photo: Seven

"Being the favourite amongst the public put that pressure on me, and the last couple of weeks have definitely been a lot more stressful,” Cyrus revealed to WHO after landing in the top four. “[But] I’ve prepared myself enough for the attention and I’m ready for whatever comes next.”

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“I’ve got no idea what life’s going to be like on the other side,” added the star. “But starting to become well known to people because they’ve connected with my music has reassured me that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

With his winner’s single, Stone, already on sale, Cyrus is dreaming big: “I already have a big fanbase in the Philippines because of my heritage,” he told the Daily Telegraph. “There’s a big music culture there. I’d love to do America too, one day.”