ROUGH CUT. NO REPORTER NARRATION.<br/> STORY: An emotional Melanie Amaro won the TV singing contest "The X Factor" on Thursday (December 22), earning a five million dollar recording contract and closing the first U.S. season of the heavily-hyped Fox show.<br/> Josh Krajcik finished second after a public vote, and Chris Rene was in third place after a Christmas-themed, two-hour finale that also saw performances by Justin Bieber, Stevie Wonder, Leona Lewis and 50 Cent.<br/> Amaro, aged 19, a ballad singer whose voice has drawn comparisons to Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, had been tipped by the four judges to win after delivering a powerful rendition of Beyonce's hit "Listen" in Wednesday's (December 21) live show.<br/> She dropped to her knees in prayer, and wept with joy, speechless at her victory.<br/> More than 100,000 people auditioned for a chance to compete in "The X Factor". Amaro was at first not selected to be part of the final 12, but then judge and mentor Simon Cowell changed his mind and recalled her -- giving her a second chance at the title.<br/> Cowell brought the show to American television after making it the most-watched show in his native Britain.<br/> "The X Factor" will return for a second U.S. season in the fall of 2012.
