SO FINALLY it's all over Lucy Benjamin is the winner of the first ever X-Factor: Battle of the Stars.

Thank goodness for that.

It was, to quote Big Brother manc Lisa, "doin' my ead in" trying to flick between X-Factor and Big Brother which were on at the same time every night.

It's amazing how reality TV can make or break a washed up celebrity.

I always used to think of Lucy Benjamin as a bit of a sad character.

She hardly failed to set the acting world alight after leaving EastEnders and was even lumbered with red-faced man Phil Mitchell as a boyfriend in real life at one point.

But over the last week on X-Factor she's emerged a glowing-skinned, glossy-haired siren.

OK, there's barely been a day where I couldn't tell you what colour bra she was wearing, but maybe she thought Sharon wanted to see underwear after her request for Rebecca Loos to wear knickers.

Mind you, reality TV is a big gamble for Z-listers nowadays.

For every Lucy Benjamin-style success story there's a handful who make themselves look like total losers remember how the tide of goodwill turned against Vic Reeves in the jungle?

Remember how Jodie Marsh made a prat of herself in Celebrity Big Brother?

The highlight of last night's X-Factor wasn't the result, though.

Like all these shows the best bit is seeing the worst performances.

We got another chance to see Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee murder Robbie Williams's Let Me Entertain You and Gillian McKeith's pouting and dancing which Simon described as "non-human".

But I'm still glad it's over. I can only handle addiction to one freak show at a time.