In recent weeks, The X Factor, Simon Cowell, and his multimedia company Syco have all come under fire from former contestants of the singing competition show. Rebecca Ferguson, Jedward, Cher Lloyd, and now Katie Waissel have made claims of bullying and even sexual assault.
Now, we’re told that – after being mentor to three of the acts who have spoken out – Cheryl is upset and concerned for everyone involved. The star, who’s been very quiet on social media over the past year and is rarely pictured in public, was spotted on a dog walk last week, looking deep in thought.
“Cheryl has a naturally caring nature, and feels really sad and worried,” an insider tells heat. “She feels as though it’s turning into a huge controversy, and she’ll be expected to say something soon and will have to pick a side, which she absolutely doesn’t want to do. Cheryl may have worked on the show for years, but she doesn’t believe she should be dragged into any scandals that she didn’t play a part in.”
Former contestant Rebecca Ferguson, 34, recently demanded a parliamentary inquiry into the music industry to protect artists, saying that managers and agents should “face a tribunal should they mistreat an artist or employee”. Twins John and Edward Grimes, aka Jedward, were more blunt, writing on Twitter that their “biggest regret in life” was not telling the show’s judges to “f--k off”. They also claimed that Little Mix and 1D were bound from speaking out by their contracts.
CHECK OUT The X Factor winners - where are they now?
The X Factor winners: Where are they now? (slider)
1 of 14Steve Brookstein, series one, 2004
Things went downhill super quickly after the high of winning the first ever series of The X Factor, and Steve's still bitter… even now, 12 years later. He's written a book about it called Getting Over The X. Come on now Steve, perhaps you should give it a read.These days he's more into childish rants on Twitter about, well, pretty much everything except making music. He did release an album in 2014, and just to show he's moved on he called it Forgotten Man. It didn't chart.
2 of 14Shayne Ward, series two, 2005
It's easy to forget Corrie's Aidan Connor is actually; Shayne Ward from The X Factor in a disguise. Alright, that should be: in a new job. It's still weird. He's shamed his role and won Best Newcomer at the National Television Awards in January 2016. Fast work.He's also been moving fast in his love life and is dating former Hollyoaks star Sophie Austin, after the couple's romance blossomed in 2016 following some Twitter flirting. Cute.
3 of 14Leona Lewis, series three, 2006
You probably won't remember Leona Lewis as she hasn't done much since. Jokes. Leona's a superstar. A superstar that loves animals. A lot.She loves dogs. She released a single with Diane Warren called We Are All (Looking For Home) in support of a dog charity. She loves cats. Well, she's starring in Cats on Broadway which is kind of the same thing. But she really loves horses. The star has featured in Horse and Hound in the past, too.
4 of 14Leon Jackson, series four, 2007
Soulful Scotsman Leon Jackson clinched the Christmas Number One in 2007 but faded fast and was dropped by the label shortly after. Nowadays his most notable achievements are his abs. He's been hard at work. They're good abs. Well done Leon.
5 of 14Alexandra Burke, series five, 2008
Alexandra Burke's winning single was a cover of Leonard Cohen's classic Hallelujah, which broke records on it's way to Number One. Hallelujah feels like a fitting introduction for the singer who's now taken the leading role of Deloris Van Cartier in Craig Revel-Horwood's new production of Sister Act in London's West End. She's still doing some shows of her own, is an ambassador for Slim Fast AND she took part in the 2017 series of Strictly Come Dancing.
6 of 14Joe McElderry, series six, 2009
In 2009 it was Joe McElderry who won The X Factor but it wasn't him who won the Christmas Number One. It was the anti-X-Factor campaign who scored the top slot with Rage Against The Machine's Killing In The Name Of. Chin up Joe, you've done alright. You've even sung for the Queen. He has sung in a touring version of Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat and did charity cycle rides. Good lad.
7 of 14Matt Cardle, series seven, 2010
The handsome one with the guitar, Matt Cardle is building up to releasing his fourth studio album called Higher Power. He's still looking hot, still playing gigs, and even joined YolanDa Brown on a few of her shows this year.Scandal! In 2016 there was a massive lawsuit filed against none other than Ed Sheeran, claiming Sheeran's huge hit Photographs was a carbon copy of Cardle's Amazing. It turns out it was the songwriters who filed it, and Cardle's distanced himself… it looked murky and in 2017 Ed settled the £16million lawsuit.
8 of 14Little Mix, series eight, 2011
Well, where to start with these ladies. Let's start with the music, cos that's what it's all about, right? The band are currently working on their fifth studio album and in 2018 they did their Summer Hits tour around the world.
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9 of 14Ben Haenow, series 11, 2014
We can almost do this as a tickbox list now. Christmas number one: tick. Record breaking sales figures: no tick. Duet with big name real celeb: tick (it was Kelly Clarkson). Album released: tick. Didn't make top twenty: tick. Dropped by Syco: tick.All that's left is the run in a West End show and a run at Butlins. Though he does seem delightfully loved-up with his dancer wife Jessica Jones.
10 of 14James Arthur, series nine, 2012
James Arthur has had a rocky road since winning the show - like so many of the winners – but he did seem to bring it on himself. After dropping a very dodgy tune with homophobic tones, iTunes offered refunds on his debut album and Syco dropped him.Then he released Say You Won't Let Go, Syco took him back and EVERYTHING changed. James is officially back, people.
11 of 14Sam Bailey, series 10, 2013
Bexley's Sam Bailey hit the Christmas number one slot with her winning single Skyscraper and toured with Queen Bey in the UK leg of her The Mrs Carter Show World Tour. Then, in what seems like a natural next step for The X Factor winners, she took a role in a popular West End musical. In this case it was Chicago.
12 of 14Louisa Johnson, series 12, 2015
2015's winner Louisa has had mixed success…her dreadful single charted the lowest of all the winners' singles of all of the time, only managing number 12 in the Christmas singles chart. Cripes.Her follow up Tears, with Clean Bandit, did much better by reaching number five, so it's swings and roundabouts. But we're not worried because a change of hair colour caused an Instagram storm in summer 2016 AND her two proper solo singles So Good and Best Behaviour have been bloody brilliant.
13 of 14Matt Terry, series 13, 2016
Matt Terry's the show's latest winner, going on to release Ed Sheeran-penned winner's single When Christmas Comes Around. He then teamed up with Enrique Iglesias and actual Sean Paul on the Spanglish remix of Subeme La Radio before releasing his proper debut single Sucker for You.Oh, and he made an appearance on Celebrity First Dates in support of Stand Up To Cancer.
14 of 14Rak-Su, series 14, 2017
Rak-Su beat Grace Davies in an epic final showdown on last year's X Factor. This summer the Rak-Su boys have been performing up and down the country on the festival circuit and have just released a new banger of a single called Pyro Ting.
Katie Waissel, 35, claimed last week that she was assaulted by a member of The X Factor team while in a hotel in the US, years after she appeared on the show. In an interview, the singer said, “I was paralysed with shock. All I could think was, ‘How am I going to leave this room?’ I was a victim, but I wouldn’t allow myself to recognise just how terrible it had been. I’ve never spoken before, as I thought I’d be blacklisted and never work again. I was vulnerable, but times have changed, and I now feel bold enough to speak out.”
Syco did investigate, and the man in question denied her claims. Katie said that she dropped the complaint, but only because she was pregnant and was worried about the added stress. But her accusation is clearly making people nervous about what else might come out.
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“Cheryl was a huge part of the show and she was privy to a lot of backstage drama, but that’s all,” our source says. “But it feels like a day of reckoning could be coming. Cheryl is very private, but the more stories that keep popping up, the more she feels pressure to say something. It’s upsetting, she’s been quite tearful.”
We’re told the mum of one – who is rumoured to be hosting her own radio show soon, after being “inundated” with offers – is concerned about having to choose sides. “Cheryl’s top priority has always been her son – she doesn’t want Bear reading stuff about her that’s unfair or untrue when he’s older,” we’re told. “She feels upset for those speaking out. Her memories of that time are mostly happy. She wants to be loyal to Simon, but at the same time, she doesn’t want to throw herself into the fire like Sharon Osbourne did when she defended Piers Morgan. Cheryl just wants a quiet life with Bear, really.”
Read more in the latest issue of heat magazine – OUT NOW.