The latest act to be kicked off the X Factor has spoken out about the song which saw him sent packing.

Daniel de Bourg was an early favourite with bookmakers to win the talent show, but became the second hopeful to be voted off the reality talent programme on Saturday.

The 31-year-old ballet tutor's rendition of the 1960s classic Build Me Up Buttercup failed to impress the panel, who criticised mentor Louis Walsh's song choice.

Louis voted to save him, but fellow judges Sharon Osbourne, Danni Minogue and Simon Cowell chose to keep 23-year-old Alisha Bennett on the show instead.

"I was surprised, of course I was surprised," Daniel told a press conference. "I'm upset that I didn't get to show the real me.

"Louis knows what he's talking about, he's been in the game for a long time, but maybe he didn't really understand me, the kind of performer I am."

He described the process in which songs are matched to contestants as "backstage politics" and explained he had been due to sing the Damien Rice hit Cannonball before producers told him to do Prince's When Doves Cry instead.

Only after the first week's live show did he discover that a more upbeat song choice was required. "It was absolutely not the right decision," he said.

Despite being axed from the show, Daniel has not lost hope of a career in the music industry, admitting: "There are rumours that there is a record deal being lined up for me. Now I can focus on going off and recording an album.

"In a way I've got to look on the positive side - I'm away from the show, I'm not going to be branded with the X Factor name. I'm going to work on an album that's really me."

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