Joe McElderry, who won The X Factor in 2009, has been dropped by his record label Syco.

The 19-year-old singer has been told that he won't have his contract renewed when it expires next month, according to the Daily Mail.

A source told the Daily Mail: "Joe is devastated. His mum has been comforting him. He believed he could have a great music career."

X Factor judge and head of Syco Simon Cowell had claimed McElderry could become "the new Zac Efron".

But his career got off to a bad start when he failed to score the Christmas number one, losing out to Rage Against The Machine.

(by Jason Gregory)