X Factor winner forced to cancel show after selling just 27 tickets

The X Factor’s first-ever winner has had a real fall from grace (Picture: ITV)

First-ever X Factor winner Steve Brookstein once had the world at his feet: TV appearances, chart-topping singles, and sell-out live shows.

Alas, it seems the 2004 champion is now struggling to shift tickets.

Steve – who was mentored by Simon Cowell – beat G4 to securing a record deal on the very first series of the ITV talent show.

Almost 20 years after approximately 10million people watched Steve scoop that £1million contract, he is still making music – but it’s not quite reaching the same number of people anymore.

So much so, that he was left with no choice but to cancel a recent show at a village hall after selling just 27 tickets.

Steve, now 55, was scheduled to perform at the Merryfield Theatre in Verwood in Dorset, which holds 300 people.

Steve Brookstein won the show in 2004, beating G4 in the final (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

Unfortunately for the crooner, he had to cancel the gig 10 days before it went ahead.

His agent, Barry Collings, claimed the show was cancelled due to Steve’s health, as he had lost his voice.

But a spokeswoman for Dorset Council, which runs the Verwood Hub venue, confirmed he cancelled on February 8, over a week before he was due to take to the stage.

Six days later, as per Mail Online, Steve performed in Esher, Surrey.

Steve’s fall from grace post-X Factor has been well documented.

He was once hailed the next Robbie Williams by Simon, with Steve achieving a number-one single and album in his early days after winning the talent show.

Sadly, it wasn’t to last as just eight months after his win, he was dropped from his record label Sony BMG, and fell out with Simon.

He tweeted in September that year: ‘The hypocrisy of gay men discussing HIV is astonishing. They don’t like HIV being compared to obesity or smoking. Yes it is unfortunate and treatable but so is obesity and smoking. #GarethThomas.’

Most recently, Steve accused Ukrainian president Volodymur Zelenskyy of having ‘Jewish privilege’ in an antisemitic rant.

He was slammed for the derogatory comments and his account on Twitter (now named X) was suspended.

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