Matt Cardle dumped by record label

Former X Factor winner Matt Cardle has been ditched by his record label Columbia.

The 29-year-old singer won the show in 2010 mentored by Dannii Minogue, but he has now left the label after just one album.

Matt tweeted: "I have parted ways with Columbia records, we were heading in different directions, big news coming soon... So excited!"

After beating Rebecca Ferguson and One Direction to the TV show title, Matt was signed up by Simon Cowell in a joint deal with his label Syco and Columbia, another umbrella of Sony.

Matt - who possibly made a rod for his own back when he criticised Cowell for allowing the runners-up to release music before him, branding the process a "free-for-all" - is the latest in a long line of X Factor contestants to fall pray to the winner's curse.

Steve Brookstein won the first ever show in 2004 and was dropped just eight months later. The 2005 winner Shayne Ward was dropped last year, at the same time as 2009 winner Joe McElderry.

Leon Jackson, who won the show in 2007 was dumped by Cowell's record label in 2009.

Cowell recently admitted he had "wasted time" on the male flops who had won the show.

Boyband One Direction, who came third behind Matt, are currently taking America by storm.