Jamie: 'X Factor' wasn't right for me
Latest 'X Factor' reject Jamie Archer admitted today that he felt "depressed" and "demoralised" by some of his experiences on the show.
The 34-year-old pub singer from London, voted out last night after a sing-off with Lloyd Daniels, said he realised the show was not right for him and made him lose confidence in his abilities.
Archer - known as Jamie Afro because of his distinctive hairdo - found it difficult to get to grips with the song choices and realised his "journey had come to an end".
He said today: "It was really demoralising for me, because it made me feel like: 'Is it me? Am I being difficult? No-one knows what to do with me - maybe there just aren't any songs?' but I just got on with it really."
Archer dismissed suggestions that he had planned to quit the show, following disagreements with mentor Simon Cowell over song choices.
"I didn't say I was leaving, I just said: 'Maybe it's the wrong show for me'. It was after we did 'Unchained Melody' and we tried it, and I had to change my song last minute.
"I said at this point: 'Maybe this show isn't really the right show for me because we keep having to change my song, which means we quite clearly don't know what to do with me'."
Archer said he was "gutted" about receiving the fewest public votes, but said he was glad to be out of the competition.
"I didn't think there was anywhere else to go with me. I just had a feeling in my heart that it would end and it wouldn't go any further," he said.
"I've been pretty spot-on with my predictions about the show and everything, and this week I just looked at it logically. I just felt that, unfortunately, we didn't get me right in the show, in terms of how to present me to the public, the song choices and what-not.
"We tried a few great ideas and everything but, ultimately, I felt like, in X Factor-land, my journey had come to an end anyway."
However he felt that the contest had given him a grounding for further success.
"I really did feel like I got what I needed to get out of the competition, which was exposure and the chance to do my own thing. I truly believe that's what my destiny was in the show - it was there to help me get footing in the next part of my career."
Archer said his only spats with Cowell had been about which tracks he should perform.
"It was about song choice and song choice alone, that was it. Simon Cowell is my friend and I love the guy.
"We were just two guys in a music competition and I had my ideas, and he had his ideas about song choice. We had to debate which one we thought we should go with, and for what reason.
"I was passionately saying: 'No, I truly believe we should go for this song', and he was like: 'No, we should definitely go for this song'."
He added: "As people, we get on famously. We take the mick out of each other - I call him Cow, I call him the Emperor. When he walks in, I'd say: 'Uh-oh, the Emperor's here'. I hope to stay in contact with him and to work with him, but we'll find out in due course."
Archer - who is now supporting his over-25s "brother" Olly Murs to win the show - wants to be "one of the great British performers", similar to US rockers Kings Of Leon.
"I want to release an album that everyone talks about, that everyone sings along to. 'The X Factor' has given me that platform to really kick-start my career and get on with it," he said.
"I always, always wanted to record an album of rock anthems - strong, fresh rock anthems. Now I can do my thing.
"I've got a great following, so I just want to go out and make my album, do loads and loads of gigs and, ultimately, I would like to - eventually in a couple of years - be massive and play stadiums, and have people tell me that they love my album and that they sing along.
"The end of 'The X Factor' is the beginning of my career, so now people will see me play guitar when they come to my shows and they'll see the real me. You'll see who I really am. That's a really exciting prospect."
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I am disappointed .... I always liked Sting because of that 
, especially the Sun who have a Bin The Twins campaign anyway...
. Finalists singing Michael Jackson songs. I hope John and Edward make it there as a duet with her i'd be glued to the screen
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