Minutes after Dalton Harris was declared winner of the 2018 edition of UK talent show ‘The X Factor’, Prime Minister Andrew Holness congratulated the Jamaican singer on Twitter, sharing, “The entire Jamaica is proud of you. Your phenomenal talent is now unleashed on the world.”

Holness later said in a statement, “Dalton is a phenomenal talent who underscores the fact that Jamaica, though a small island developing state, produces some of the world’s best talent in entertainment and culture. Dalton’s victory, the first by a Jamaican on ‘The X Factor’ competition, and his history-making performances have placed him in a league of excellent entertainers.”

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange shared the same sentiment, as she acknowledged Harris’ win as a “well-deserved victory for a young man with immense talent who works very hard”.

She said that Harris’ victory “caps a very good week for the promotion and celebration of Jamaican musical talent”.

In truth and in fact, no one is named an ‘X Factor’ winner by accident. Harris worked with seeming extraordinary calculation for the moment that arrived last night when the British reality television music competition crowned him the champion of its 15th season.

Crouching as the decision was announced, the only expression that could escape Harris’ lips was, “Ohhh.”

Then a breathless Harris asked ‘The X Factor’ host Dermot O’Leary, as if in disbelief, “I won ‘The X Factor’?”

“You won ‘The X Factor’,” O’Leary replied.

 

NO SURPRISE

 

It came as no surprise to the judges, as throughout the competition, Harris’ mentor Louis Tomlinson and his colleagues Simon Cowell, Robbie Williams and Ayda Fields repeatedly remarked that out of all the performers to grace ‘The X Factor’ stage, Harris was “probably the best singer in this competition, if not the best singer the competition has ever seen”.

The remarks at the finals were no different from those on Saturday when Harris performed Donny Hathaway’s 1970s classic love song A Song For You, and yesterday after the performance of his debut single The Power of Love, featuring 2012 ‘The X Factor’ winner James Arthur (who also joined the Jamaican singer on stage).