Atlanta, GA 12/14/2010 10:45:47 PM
Matt Cardle thinks 'The X Factor' "saved" him.
This 27-year-old singer - who beat fellow finalists Rebecca Ferguson
and One Direction to win the show on Sunday (12.12.10) - admitted he
used to lead the life of a "rebel", but the ITV1 show "changed his
life" for the better.
He said: "Entering 'The X Factor' changed my life. It's saved me, in a way.
"I was a rebel, drifting about having a laugh and a drink with mates. I never went mental but I was stupid."
However, Matt - who is expected to earn £5 million next year alone -
reached the height of his problems when he spent a night in jail after
being arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
He revealed: "One night I was with someone who smashed something up. In
the grand scheme of things it was pathetic. I got nicked for being
drunk and disorderly and spent a night in a cell but it was just a
joke. We were just stupid idiots."
After failing two college courses, Matt's concerned family persuaded
him to make his singing dreams come true and enter 'The X Factor'.
He added to The Sun newspaper: "They wanted to see something happen in
my life. They said, 'You can't be bumming around drinking with your
mates all the time'. They thought if I was serious about wanting to be
a singer I should put some effort in to it."
