Sunday, 13th November 2005, 11:57
LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) -
X Factor evictee Maria Lawson has claimed that judge Louis Walsh being part of an "Irish Mafia" cost her a place in the show's final.
The sexy singer said she agreed with her mentor Sharon Osbourne's TV rant against Louis, who used his deciding vote to save Simon Cowell's group The Conway Sisters.
Like Louis, The Conway Sisters are Irish. He has known them for years and they supported his band Westlife on a tour.
His choice led to a chorus of boos from the studio audience and had Sharon fuming: "It is a travesty for pop talent. Maria is too talented to stop singing now. I'm half Irish Catholic but this is about passports not talent. It's like the Irish Mafia."
Maria, 30, from London, said today: "Everyone knows what happened. It was obvious. I have been the victim of what Sharon called the Irish Mafia."
Maria, who cancelled her £3,500 honeymoon to Mauritius to try and find fame on the hit ITV 1 show, said she could not now wait to "catch up on some loving" with her sex-starved hubby Lawrence Garry.
The newlyweds have been married for four months - but have spent just three nights together. They had only just managed to consummate their marriage when Maria moved out of the marital home and in to the X Factor house.
Maria said she had no regrets about sacrificing her honeymoon with 33-year-old property developer Lawrence, with whom she enjoyed a nine year romance before tying the knot.
She said: "I wouldn't have missed this experience for the world. It has been a very positive and encouraging time and people can see how good I am now.
"I have given it my best shot. I think I was good enough to get to the final. I have worked really hard but knew it would be hard for me to get through with this song.
"The good thing is I can now have my honeymoon. It was a shame to miss Mauritius, which was non-refundable but if we can afford it I would love to go to Fiji, where me and my man can catch up on some loving.
"The first thing I thought of last night was just getting into Lawrence's arms. I just couldn't face an empty bed last night."
Maria said that her mentor Sharon Osbourne decided she should perform the Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar last night in a bid to show her vocal versatility.
She said she would have preferred to have sung another Stones' classic, Satisfaction, instead.
But she said she remained confident that she will land a record deal and said she was hopeful that judge Simon Cowell might sign her.
She said: "I still feel I have a great future. I expect to be snapped up by a record producer very soon.
"Before this I was a backing singer for Gabrielle and now I feel it is time for me to be the lead. People tell me I have lots of talent and now I believe them.
"Record labels will have seen this and I hope to get signed soon. Who knows? Maybe even Simon might sign me."
Maria said that acid-tongued judge Simon was normally surprisingly "quiet" backstage but that she thought he had "taken a shine" to her. She said: "He is quite a quiet man. He will speak to you if you speak to him but I think he took a shine to me."
Maria predicted that Manchester shop assistant Shayne Ward, 21, would win but said she would be voting for Brenda Edwards, who has become her good friend.
She said: "I am sure that Shayne will be the winner. I will vote for Brenda but Shayne has that special X Factor. Even if he gets into the bottom two, he will not be voted off."
She said that ex-stripper Chico was in his element in the house the contestants share. She said: "He is going mad in there. Chico fancies everyone."
