a montage of clips from his time on The X Factor, from his initial audition to his final performance after being declared the winner. Brookstein released his debut album Heart and Soul on 9 May 2005 through Sony BMG. Although Brookstein continued to perform tracks from the album on television shows such as CD:UK, a second single failed to materialise. In August 2005, it was announced that Sony BMG had dropped him from their line-up only eight months after his X Factor victory and despite the success of his debut single and album. Brookstein maintains that the decision to drop him reportedly came after he was offered a second album and to come back on the show, which he declined as it was to be another album of covers and he preferred a mix of old and new. In August 2005, eight months after being dropped from his record label, Brookstein publicly attacked The X Factor, claiming the show was "one big theatre... turning music into the WWE" and that it was "killing music". Brookstein has publicly feuded with Simon Cowell and The X Factor, claiming "there is absolutely no way he would want me within 100 miles of him" and admitting spending years feeling bitter about the way he was treated on the show. Although Brookstein enjoyed fleeting success with both his debut album and single both reaching number one – "Heart and Soul" and "Against All Odds" respectively – he was dropped by Cowell's management after the latter was accused of refusing Brookstein creative freedom. 2008–2010: Musicals and controversies In June 2007, Brookstein appeared on the P&O Portsmouth to Bilbao car ferry, alongside The X Factor series 2 alumni Chico Slimani and Journey South. In 2008, he played 'the father' in a touring production of the musical Our House. In December 2009, when a Facebook campaign was launched to stop The X Factor winner from achieving the coveted Christmas number 1 spot, Brookstein backed the campaign to see Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" reach the top of the chart, targeting Cowell in an online rant. He further attacked Cowell, claiming the latter "ruined Christmas" and that he was dropped from his record label because he "wouldn't play the game". Brookstein also claimed the show was staged and the winner was fixed, and was subsequently removed from the official The X Factor website following those comments.