I may have joined a group on facebook that says we should get Jeff Buckley's version of Hallelujah to number one this Christmas. I think any version of Hallelujah should get to number one.

Alexandra Burke may have triumphed in ITV's The X Factor at the weekend, but Leonard Cohen, the composer of the finalist's song Hallelujah, which will now become the 20-year-old singer's debut single and is widely tipped to be the Christmas No 1, has even more reason to celebrate.

It is expected that Burke's cover version – already the most downloaded X Factor single ever - will sell a million CDs and downloads. Based on the usual 10 per cent royalty, this will make 74-year-old Cohen £250,000.

Good news for the aging singer who came out of retirement this year after his former manager allegedly siphoned off most of his $10m retirement fund. To remedy this, Cohen was forced to go back on the road, playing a number of well received concerts.