Melanie Amaro Wins The X Factor
Dec. 23 2011, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
Melanie Amaro was crowned the winner on Thursday night's finale of The X Factor, netting the show's grand prize of $5 million plus a spot in a Pepsi ad, and RadarOnline.com has video of the songbird's emotional win.
After host Steve Jones announced her as the winner of the show's first season in the states, the 19-year-old Florida native, who was born in the British Virgin Islands, could barely get any words out uttering, "Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God."
Her coach Simon Cowell wasn’t at a loss for words however, telling the crowd, "I want to say, 'America, thank you for giving this girl an opportunity.'"
Amaro defeated Wooster, Ohio soul singer Josh Krajcik (second-place) and Santa Cruz, California rapper Chris Rene (third-place) for the most viewer votes a night after she delivered a star-making rendition of Beyonce's Listen.
Krajcik was a good sport in defeat, saying, "Melanie deserves it. She has a wonderful voice. I had such an incredible experience here. I got to be myself, sing what I want to sing, and I couldn't be happier."
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Watch the video on RadarOnline.com
The finale of the British import also included star-studded performances from Justin Bieber, Stevie Wonder, Leona Lewis, Pitbull, Ne-Yo and 50 Cent.
The show's second season airs on Fox next fall with auditions kicking off next month.
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