X Factor Winner Matt Cardle Reveals Cancer Battle

He has vowed to donate money to charity after beating the disease...

The X Factor's latest champion, Matt Cardle, has broken his silence over his childhood battle with cancer.

Speaking to The Sun, Cardle, who was crowned winner of the talent show on Sunday, claims that he plans to donate some of his new found fortune to children's cancer charity, CLIC, after he beat the disease when he was just 18 months old.

WATCH MTV'S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH X FACTOR WINNER MATT CARDLE HERE!

The 27-year old told the tabloid: "I was young but I knew I was seriously ill and that I was in hospital.”

“I had cancer in my kidney and I ended up having to have one removed. I had a slight complication with the operation, but when you're a kid you bounce back… It was caught quite early and I was all right. But it could have been worse.”

He continued: “I want to give some money to CLIC. They helped me out when I was sick so it seems like the right thing to do.”

Matt, whose rendition of the Biffy Clyro track, When We Collide, looks set to be this year's Christmas number 1, has also denied reports that during his time on the show he was romancing stylist Grace Woodward and make-up artist, Lauren Clements.

CHECK OUT PICS OF THE 2010 X FACTOR FINAL IN MTV'S GALLERY HERE!!

The former painter-and-decorator admitted to the Daily Star: "[Grace] is a good girl. We got on well because I didn't give her any stick over styling and she didn't give me any s**t over anything else."

"When these rumours came about, there were a lot of people in the competition giving her grief. So we were just looking after each other and would give each other a comforting hug."

As for his supposed "romp" with Clements, Cardle quashed the rumours, stating: "That's bulls**t. I had a chat with the girl and the next minute I was supposed to have given her a good seeing to backstage. It pisses me off."

Matt has also claimed that for the moment he isn't interested in a relationship, confessing that he aims to focus on his music instead.

SEE PICS OF THE X FACTOR WINNER MATT CARDLE HERE!

The XF winner stated: "I couldn't be thinking about that side of things any less if I tried. I'm not looking for love, I just want to get my head in the studio and get the songs down."

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