X FACTOR reject Storm Lee has come up with an odd excuse for his ejection from the show – he believes he was too ‘polished’ for the show.

The Scottish singer, 37, was eliminated from the show last night after finishing bottom in the public vote – a fate which, given the double-elimination format being used for the show’s first episodes, saw him immediately ejected from the running.

Lee (born Lee Gardner; he changed his name at 16) said he felt his image had suffered after he had died his hair pink on the prompting of his mentor Louis Walsh, but that the main reason he had been booted out was his ‘experience and his professionalism’.

“The truth of it is I wasn’t intimidated by Simon Cowell or by the show,” said the former furniture re-upholster and KFC cleaner.

“It worked against me in that maybe I was just a bit too polished or a bit too ’I’ve been there, I’ve done it’, whereas some of the other contestants clearly are a lot more amateur.”

“They’re a bit less experienced and I think the public really want to feel invested in building a star and the show wants to feel they’re building something.

“For me, I was already quite defined. So I think Louis wanted to switch that and try and change it up for me and I just think it backfired.”

Lee was joined on the scrapheap by camp duo Diva Fever, whose performance of ‘I Will Survive’ was not enough to save them from a unanimous judges’ ejection.

Elsewhere, Irish hopeful Mary Byrne (50) has denied suggestions that she has hooked up with Brazilian co-contestant Wagner Fiuza-Carrilho.

“Wagner’s a lovely man but he definitely wouldn’t be my cup of tea and I don’t think I would be his. He likes the young women, you know!,” the Tesco checkout assistant told the Evening Herald.

“Music is my first love and that’s what I feel I’m married to now – I’ve no time for anything else.”

Rumours had circulated after Saturday night’s show, where judge Simon Cowell had asked Wagner whether anything was happening between them. “Mary is a wonderful soul, she is a noble woman of great character. She is a great friend of mine,” the Brazilian had responded, failing to quash the rumours.

Wagner is reported to have moved out of the X Factor house – perhaps in an attempt to ease tensions between the pair, though he is also rumoured to have had a large row with fellow contestant John Adeleye.