Joe McElderry chats to iVillage

He's the North East's biggest little man and he's waging an unexpected war against Rage Against the Machine. We stole ten minutes of X Factor winner Joe McElderry's time to chat about snogging, media misquoting and the battle for Christmas number one

It's only a few days since you won the X Factor, are you totally exhausted?

No, I'm alright actually, I'm still on an adrenaline buzz. It's just such an amazing time at the moment that I've got loads of energy. I moved out of the house on Monday morning and had a couple of days to catch up on sleep and get my stuff together.

Are you staying anywhere nice now?

Yes, a lovely hotel!

There's been a lot of fuss made about you versus Rage Against the Machine for Christmas number one, are you worried?

Well I would be disappointed if it wasn't number one but it's a chart battle and that's what it's all about. I wish them luck but I just hope that people buy the single and get behind me and support me. If I get to number one that would be amazing and of course I'd be disappointed if I don't.

Do you feel as though it's a bit of a personal attack on you?

No, I think it's more of an attack on the X Factor more than me. Anybody who would have won would have had the same thing happen to them.

What do you say to those people who say that the race for Christmas number one has become boring in recent years with the X Factor winner claiming it every year?

To be honest it's all in the timing of the show, I don't think it's that the X Factor is 'claiming' number one. The single's out at Christmas and that's why it's Christmas number one. The same thing would apply if it was out in the summer, it would become the summer single.

If you had to snog one and marry the other, who would you choose out of Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole?

Well that's a difficult one! I think I'd snog Dannii and marry Cheryl. I think that would be interesting.

Speaking of your relationship with Cheryl, was it as close as it seemed on TV?

Yes, it really was. Because we're from the same area we got on really well, she calls in all time to see how I'm getting on, and I class her as a really good friend. I can see why people say we're like brother and sister.

You've been in the press for saying you don't believe in sex before marriage, do find this level of media scrutiny difficult to deal with?

I never said that to start things off, but I think it's just one of those things that gets twisted and changed so it doesn't really bother me. Things are made up all the time and it happened throughout the show as well. I just get on with things and try not to get wrapped up in it.