Rebecca Ferguson, a former runner-up The x factorhas criticized ITV after the British broadcaster failed to investigate her “traumatic” experience on the Simon Cowell entertainment show.
In a series of tweets, the singer posted screenshots of what appeared to be from an email she sent to ITV CEO Carolyn McCall in 2021, which referred to “terrible foul play”. The x factor in 2021.
Ferguson had previously raised concerns about her experience with the series but revisited her claims amid a spate of allegations of a “toxic” culture on the ITV daytime show This morning.
Ferguson said she faced an “abuse of power” when, aged 23, she had to sign a management and recording deal to take part in the show.
She appeared on The x factor Season that became One Direction. At the time, the show was at the peak of its power and was being watched by millions of viewers in the UK.
Ferguson said ITV COO Sarah Clarke had responded to her allegations and apologized for her experience. However, ITV and Ofcom declined to investigate further.
ITV said: “In our correspondence with Rebecca, we have stressed that the well-being of contestants is ITV’s top priority, as reflected in our Due Diligence Charter and detailed guidance launched in 2019, which we are now making available to all producers in order to.” to ensure this.” that the well-being of the participants is adequately ensured in all our programs. ITV responded to Rebecca with information provided to us by the producers, detailing their social welfare, aftercare, legal and management arrangements at the time of her participation.”
The company added: “ITV is committed to putting in place appropriate processes to protect the mental health and well-being of program participants. We have evolved and strengthened our approach and expect all commissioned program producers to have appropriate procedures in place to ensure the mental health of program participants as well as their physical safety.
“These processes and procedures will vary from program to program to ensure the well-being of all participants in ITV programming is adequately protected. While the practical, detailed processes needed to manage the well-being of participants in any program must lie with the producers themselves, as broadcaster and content officer, ITV offers guidance on what we consider best practice: when selecting participants before the filming and during the filming of the filming and the continued support up to and after the broadcast of the programme.”
The x factor was produced by Fremantle and Syco.
Ferguson has released four top ten albums in the UK and has agreed to sing at Donald Trump’s inauguration on the condition that she perform Strange Fruit, which describes the lynching of African Americans. She did not perform at the 2017 ceremony.