X Factor's Cher Lloyd signs to L.A. Reid's record label

Cher Lloyd came fourth on the UK version of The X Factor in 2010

Cher Lloyd has signed a record deal with American X Factor judge L.A. Reid's label, she has confirmed.

The 18-year-old, who scored a UK number one single with her debut track Swagger Jagger in August, described the move as a "big thing".

"I went over to America to do some more recording and stuff like that and now I'm signed to Epic with L.A. Reid," Lloyd told BBC Breakfast.

Her debut album went top five in the UK when it was released in November.

The 54-year-old music mogul Reid has helped the likes of Mariah Carey, Usher, Rihanna, Kanye West and Jay-Z to multi-platinum sales success in the past.

"I'm not going to run before I can walk. It's quite a big thing to try and achieve, but you never know what's going to happen," Cher Lloyd said.

"He finds me quite funny.

"He said that I am very outgoing, and I say what I want and sometimes it comes out before I get to think about what's going to come out of my mouth and he likes that.

"He just said that I'm really fresh and he's very excited."

L.A. Reid has mentored the boys category during the first series of US X Factor.

He has one contestant left in this week's final, Chris Rene.