The X Factor might be hitting the headlines for manipulating the public, but former contestant Diana Vickers has revealed she called the shots when recording her debut album.

Vickers, 19, who was a runner up on the reality show two years ago, reached No.1 this year with her debut single, 'Once'.

“I was working with these writers, but I wasn’t getting the sound I wanted, so I had to stick my neck out and say, ‘Look this isn’t working'," she says, “It was risky but it paid off.”

Diana’s third single, 'My Wicked Heart', will be released digitally on November 7 and physically on the 8.

Watch the video below: