NOT winning the X Factor might be a blessing in disguise for Jahmene Douglas.

The 22-year-old lost out to James Arthur in the final on Sunday night but he is already being tipped for big things and could follow in the footsteps of other contestants who failed to win but have still had success.

One Direction are one of the biggest bands to come out of the X Factor, but like Jahmene they fell at the final hurdle, coming 3rd in 2010.

Since then they have gone on to sell more than 15 million albums and singles worldwide and were the first group to have a debut album go to the top of the American Billboard charts.

It is not just One Direction whose popularity both in the UK and US is soaring – JLS and Olly Murs were X Factor finalists but failed to win the coveted title, and have gone on to achieve astonishing success.

Coming in second place in 2009 has also worked wonders for Olly Murs, who saw his second album go to number one this month alongside the single Troublemaker and has also been fronting the X Factor spin-off show Xtra Factor with Caroline Flack.

JLS, who performed at Lydiard Park last year, have also had huge success since they missed out on winning the show in 2008.

Their first two singles Beat Again and Everybody In Love both went to number one in the UK singles chart and the band’s self-titled debut album has sold over one million copies in the UK.

Other success stories have emerged from X Factor contestants who didn’t win the title.

Cher Lloyd, Stacey Solomon and Rebecca Ferguson are popular singers and pop up regularly on TV.

And who can forget Jedward? The Irish twins came sixth in 2009 and yet their fame – or should that be infamy? – knows no bounds.

Somebody who knows a bit about what it takes to make it in the industry is Jonathan Wilkes, who signed a recording contract with Virgin in 2000, and runs the Wilkes Academy of Performing Arts at New College.

He said: “Jahmene is already a winner, just by doing what he has done on the show.

“So far things have been going great for him and he just needs to make sure he stays true to himself.

“I know that can be easier said than done, because there are going to be a lot of people who want to be around him, but he has to make sure he has the right people there.

“He is a very young man, and his life has been turned upside down, but I am sure he will do well out of this.

“With him not winning it allows him to follow his own route.”

Another person who knows a bit about making it big in the charts is Swindon 105.5 presenter Shirley Ludford, who has known Jahmene from his time in Swindon’s Got Talent.

She said: “Even though he hasn’t won he has still got a great future because he is a huge talent.

“What I didn’t like about the show is that they tried to get Jahmene to do songs that he wasn’t comfortable with, he knows what his niche is and he now has the chance to fulfil that.”