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It seems the reality TV talent show curse has claimed another victim: X Factor winner Steve Brookstein has been dropped by his label Sony/BMG after just eight months.

Like so many of his contemporaries, (virtually any “pop star” to come off a reality show), the former pub crooner is reluctant to leave the limelight without a parting shot at the corporate machine that raised his profile in the first place.

"The show gives you a platform but then pulls the rug from under your feet by making you sign to a certain label and having no say in what happens next,” raged Steve.

(That’s why they call it manufactured).

"The X Factor damages your credibility - or perhaps I should say Simon Cowell does,” he added.

(At this point we are still unsure what “credibility” Steve is talking about - cduk.com will get back to you if this is ever clarified).

Once the best of pals, Steve is less than impressed with his mentor Simon Cowell, who soon forgot about his not-so-young protégé.

"After the show finished Simon spent a month on holiday in Barbados. Then he went to America,” said Steve.

"I was never one of Simon's priorities. Simon Cowell is Simon's priority."

Harsh words, not that the millionaire music mogul cares a jot.

"Steve and I had artistic differences, but then that happens,” explained Cowell.

"The fact that he had a Number One single and sold over 250,000 albums cannot be damaging to anyone's credibility."

Steve is now concentrating on a jazz album with his girlfriend.

Considering his pop career lasted less than a year it’s a good thing the next series of X Factor is already underway to find some more pop fodder to fill the gaping gap in the market.

However, with so many wannabe pop stars lying like road-kill on the highway to superstardom, it’s a wonder people still continue to audition.

Fingers crossed there’s another Girls Aloud or Will Young queuing up to buck the trend.

X FACTOR judge Simon Cowell has hit back at reigning champion Steve Brookstein - calling him a "a nobody" without the show.

In an exclusive interview with The People, razor-tongued Cowell stormed: "X Factor gave Steve instant stardom. It was a fast-track to fame for him.

"Without it he would still be touring clubs in a dirty van going up and down the motorway."

The music mogul, speaking on the eve of last night's new series on ITV1, opened his heart after the singer blasted the talent show for "killing music".

He also accused Cowell - who masterminded his career - of damaging performers' credibility.

Replying to Brookstein's criticism last week, Cowell, 45, said: "Steve literally walked onto the show and got instant stardom.

"Life really isn't so bad for him. He won a talent show, he's had a number one single, a number one album.

"And he has the freedom now to take his career in any direction he wants. It's hardly a matter of life and death." He added: "He would never have had this opportunity without the show. Twelve months ago he could never have achieved a number one single and album.

"I don't know what he would have done without the competition, but no-one had heard of Steve Brookstein a year ago.

"There are thousands of artists out there who would love to have achieved what he has achieved.

"I can't see what he has to be disappointed about."

Cowell added: "Nothing would make me happier than to see him having worldwide success. The only thing we should have done was to release the album earlier.

"At the moment we are still in discussions with him about what we would like or not like to do together.

We strongly recommended to him that he should do an album of well-known songs - he wants to write his own music. If we agree, fantastic, if he decides he would rather make the kind of album he would rather make with another label, then we wouldn't stand in his way.

"The problem with him and me, understandably, is he wanted to go in one direction and I wanted him to go in a slightly different direction.

"It has happened before and it will happen again.

"I don't believe in dictating to people and the great thing for him now is that on his CV he has a number one single and a number one album and he is a household name."

Cowell said he was disappointed by Brookstein's comments. "You've always got to remember the people who picked up the phone," said Cowell.

"A show like this pretty much guarantees you nationwide recognition and a million per cent better chance of having a number one."

But he admitted that the show continues to amaze him with the acts it throws up.

"It's the musical equivalent of Little Britain," he said. "There is stuff you could never dream up in your wildest nightmares.

"If you had a crazy scale of one to ten, this series would be a nine and a half. Even the American one was only a six.

"Each time you think it won't be as crazy as the previous series it somehow manages to amaze me.

"It is the craziest show I have ever judged - and the strangest bunch of people we have ever had."