Music superstar Lionel Richie has been snubbed by ‘X Factor’ winner Alexandra Burke… who is a 20 year old singer, who hasn’t really made it big yet, and only won X-Factor in recent months. 

However, the 20-year-old singer made such an impression on the 59-year-old star he invited her to join him on his forthcoming US tour as a support act, but Alexandra turned down the offer saying she didn’t want to attempt to make it big in America until she has created good original material and a personal unique style for herself. 

A source close to Lionel said: “Lionel made it clear he wanted Alexandra to join his tour and is very disappointed. Touring with Lionel would have been a massive opportunity, but it’s a lot of work and stressful preparation for that sort of thing. Plus at the moment Alex doesn’t have any real songs of her own.”

It is believed Alexandra’s mentor Simon Cowell – who was a judge on the UK TV talent show that discovered her – was the driving force behind the fledgling star’s decision.

Simon Cowell and everyone who works at the label Syco are determined to do what they did with Leona Lewis and shelter her away, they have a plan for Alexandra and they want her to be able to concentrate on making a brilliant album before touring with stars as famous as Lionel Ritchie.

Ms Bell, mother of X Factor winner of 2008 Alexandra Burke, who sang in the 80s band Soul II Soul, said she was outraged by Islington Council’s claims that she was a benefits cheat.

Islington Council has launched an investigation into benefits recipient Ms Bell after accusations that she has been getting paid for singing at a series of events.

Ms Bell who is a mother of four who has severe diabetes and claims thousands of pounds a year in disability and income support, has said she cannot believe these claims and is very upset by them, as she would never dream of taking money which she was not entitled to. Ms Bell rang the council to further investigate the rumoured claims and it was confirmed to her she is under investigation because of suspicion of benefit fraud, she is apparently ‘absolutely outraged.’

Alexandra, her daughter, who is 20, landed a £1 million record deal after winning the X Factor talent show last month. Ms Bell said that she had never had any professional gigs while she has been on benefits and that any money she did receive had been paid to charity.

She confirmed that she stepped in for her daughter to sing at a restaurant in Surrey on Christmas Day – but received a Christmas dinner.

Alexandra Burke hated the song Hallelujah when she first heard it and feared it could lose her the competition. When Alexandra first tried to sing ‘Hallelujah’ she stormed out of the studio in frustration when trying sing it to her mentor, show judge Cheryl Cole.

Alexandra said: “When Hallelujah got picked I was gutted. I thought I had lost there and then. I wanted to leave the show. I didn’t know the song before and it just didn’t do anything for me. It left me cold. I could not see a way to put my twist on it.”

Despite her initial reservations, Alexandra – crowned X Factor champion of 2008 –  has seen her soulful version of the Leonard Cohen song become the fastest-selling download ever. Alex added: “Now I realise what a smart choice of song Simon Cowell made by picking Hallelujah.

Alexandra has a simple and sweet view of what it means – the quest for true love. She said, “When I sing it I’m thinking about a girl who is in love with a boy and is trying to get them to notice her.”

Alex insists she is single and denies amy romance with Marvin Humes, 23, from X Factor runners-up JLS. She also laughs off reports that Gavin And Stacey star James Corden has bought her a £4,000 watch. She joked: “Show me the watch! Do you see it? There is no watch.”

Alexandra Burke’s debut album will be put off until the autumn. There were rumours that the X Factor winner’s first record would be pushed for an early release by Simon Cowell’s ‘Syco’ label and could be on shelves as early as March in time for Mother’s Day.

Bosses have now said they will follow the path marked out by superstar Leona Lewis and delay the release until around November in order to give Alexandra the best possible chance of achieving credibility to match her potential chart success. 

Simon’s company Syco want to wait to find the right songs and let her polish her skills, like they did with Leona. She can then launch it on a live X Factor show to start the promotion of the new album, Alex’s talent and appeal is closer to Leona’s levels, so they can afford to wait to get it right.

The source added that despite X Factor 2007 winner Leon Jackson’s album flop after a wait of 10 months, music executives aren’t worried that the same will happen to Alexandra.