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February 18, 2008

X Factor winner unhappy with magazine’s coverage of ‘pizza parlour’ gig

By Press Gazette

A musical reality TV show winner has complained to the Press Complaints Commission after a celebrity magazine said he ‘slammed’another contestant from the show while playing a gig in a “pizza parlour”.

Steve Brookstein, who won the first X Factor competition in 2004, complained after a magazine article said he criticised Leon Jackson, who won the competition last year. Brookstein said he was ‘clearly joking’and had complimented Jackson on his voice.

Brookstein made his comments while on stage at the Pizza Express Jazz Club – not a pizza parlour he contends – and was also unhappy the magazine had given the impression he had made his comments in an interview.

The magazine admitted that the ‘information for the article was obtained from a report in another publication’and that fans of the singer had been in touch to complain.

The complaint was resolved when Now ‘immediately amended’its online version of the story to take account of Brookstein’s grievances.

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