91�ȱ�

X Factor finalist Sami Brookes says she is disappointed mentor Louis Walsh did not back her in a crucial vote that saw her ousted from Sunday's show.

The Rhyl shop worker believes he should quit the show as the last remaining judge from the previous series.

Ms Brookes says: "Louis has got loads of experience, it's a new X Factor so they should have someone new."

She was voted out by the judges after the public put her and Over-25s singer Kitty Brucknell in the bottom two.

Ms Brookes, 31, was criticised for a "karaoke" style rendition of Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time which judge Gary Barlow dismissed as "boring".

A performance of the Aretha Franklin hit (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman failed to save her, with Tulisa Contostavlos the only one of the four judges voting to send Kitty Brucknell home instead.

Ms Brookes said: "I do wish Louis had taken it to Deadlock, definitely. Maybe I might have been voted in. I just feel like it was really unfair."

She claimed Mr Walsh spends more time with "his favourite act" Brucknell.

'Good mates'

"Everyone had some input but all my song choices got overlooked, so I wish Louis had helped more with the song choices.

"I just wish he would have taken my ideas more on board because he is such a funny guy and brilliant. I think he doesn't see me maybe as a singer."

Ms Brookes, who works in a card shop in Rhyl, also denied that she was bullied by contestant Misha Bryan on the show.

"How could someone who's about four foot something bully me - I'm like 16 stone and about 6ft high? I am twice the height of Misha.

"Can you really see Misha bullying me?"

She said: "Me and Misha, we had a little disagreement on Friday, I can't even remember what it's about, but we're really good mates.

'Different environment'

"I can stand up for myself, but I'm not getting bullied. I think all the girls have disagreements. People aren't used to each other, it's a different environment so people are going to argue about fake tan and things like that.

"It's like a big family so there are bound to be some arguments."

Ms Brookes says she is hoping to secure work in London's West End.

"I am gutted but it's not all over for me. This is the biggest platform, it's the best show in the UK. I've been on it and it's a stepping stone.

"How good does it look on my CV?" she said.

She is now backing friend and fellow over-25s singer Johnny Robinson to win the show.

Last week she told 91�ȱ� Wales how the X Factor experience was not as glamorous as it appeared on TV.

She said it was hard work, describing the 05:00 BST early morning starts as a "killer".