Fleur East admits taking part in The X Factor should 'come with a warning' for young stars

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    Fleur East has revealed she thinks taking part in The X Factor should ‘come with a warning’ for the show’s young stars about the pitfalls of fame.

    The singer, 33, finished as runner-up on the eleventh series of the show in 2014 and feels she was ‘put on a shelf’ by Simon Cowell’s company Syco after just one album.

    Fleur added she thinks contestants need to be warned about the risks taking part in The X Factor can have and said she didn’t feel supported after the series ended.

    Speaking out: Fleur East has revealed she thinks taking part in The X Factor should'come with a warning' for the show's young stars about the pitfalls of fame (pictured in 2015)

    Speaking out: Fleur East has revealed she thinks taking part in The X Factor should ‘come with a warning’ for the show’s young stars about the pitfalls of fame (pictured in 2015)

    She said: ‘I think it needs to come with a warning,’ and when asked if she meant The X Factor or Simon himself, she replied: ‘Well both’.

    Fleur explained: ‘I think from the start you need to be told of the risks involved. A lot of young contestants don’t really know of the pitfalls and the hardship. When you get signed you think you’ve made it. They don’t realise that’s only the beginning.’

    Fleur released her album Love, Sax and Flashbacks wiItth Syco but feels she had more in her than what the label let her do.

    She said there ‘wasn’t enough love and nurturing and I was put on a shelf – I knew I had a lot more in me.’ 

    Career: The singer, 33, finished as runner-up on the eleventh series of the show in 2014 and feels she was'put on a shelf' by Simon Cowell's company Syco after just one album

    Career: The singer, 33, finished as runner-up on the eleventh series of the show in 2014 and feels she was ‘put on a shelf’ by Simon Cowell’s company Syco after just one album

    Fleur said she knew she wanted to write and ‘be involved’ at Syco but found the actual experience was ‘different’.

    However, the hitmaker added she wouldn’t be doing many of the ‘amazing’ things she does now had she not appeared on The X Factor. 

    MailOnline has contacted Syco for comment.  

    It comes after Rebecca Ferguson called for an inquiry into the music industry following her experience on The X Factor in 2010. 

    The singer, 34, took to Twitter on Monday to slam the ‘old boys club’ and defiantly told the other women who have contacted her with claims of abuse that they will get their ‘justice’ soon.

    Candid: Fleur added she thinks contestants need to be warned about the risks taking part in The X Factor can have and said she didn't feel supported after the series ended

    Candid: Fleur added she thinks contestants need to be warned about the risks taking part in The X Factor can have and said she didn’t feel supported after the series ended

    It comes after it was revealed that Rebecca went to the Metropolitan Police earlier this month to report allegations of harassment and coercive control against a senior male industry figure.

    The Mail on Sunday revealed Rebecca went to the Metropolitan Police earlier this month to report allegations of harassment and coercive control against a senior male industry figure.

    Rebecca claims she was targeted while working to build her career after coming runner-up on the ITV show.

    The singer, who agreed the MoS can reveal the complaint she made to police, has also met Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden to discuss problems within the industry.

    Speaking up: Rebecca Ferguson has told fans that'it will all come out' as she teased her new documentary and continued calls for an inquiry into the music industry on Twitter on Monday

    Speaking up: Rebecca Ferguson has told fans that ‘it will all come out’ as she teased her new documentary and continued calls for an inquiry into the music industry on Twitter on Monday

    Several former X Factor stars including Chico Slimane, Cher Lloyd and Jedward, have spoken about the ‘abuse’ they suffered while on the show.

    And most recently Katie Waissel, 35, claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a member of the show’s team in the US when she met the person to talk about recording work, years after appearing on the show.

    Waiving her right to anonymity in an interview with The Sun, Katie said: ‘I can still smell him. 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.’

    Reported: It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that Rebecca went to the Metropolitan Police earlier this month to report allegations of harassment and coercive control against a senior male industry figure

    Reported: It comes after The Mail on Sunday revealed that Rebecca went to the Metropolitan Police earlier this month to report allegations of harassment and coercive control against a senior male industry figure

    Katie added that she decided not to make a formal complaint at the time as she was pregnant, but that she feels being ‘focused on success’ after the X Factor made her ‘vulnerable’.

    A spokesperson for Syco Entertainment said: ‘We were made aware via the media of Katie’s claims in Autumn 2017 and we immediately contacted her and began an investigation.

    ‘We were naturally shocked at the allegations and wanted to do anything we could to help – so we asked her to lodge a complaint with us and detail the allegations for that purpose. In the interim we suspended the accused.

    ‘Despite a number of requests to Katie asking her to detail the claims to us, she chose not to make a complaint over his behaviour. As a result, and without other evidence to the contrary, we were obliged to accept his denial of the claims.

    Candid: Katie Waissel recently claimed she was sexually assaulted by somebody on the X Factor team years after she competed in the talent contest (pictured in 2016)

    Candid: Katie Waissel recently claimed she was sexually assaulted by somebody on the X Factor team years after she competed in the talent contest (pictured in 2016) 

    ‘We, of course, remain ready and keen to investigate her claims if she so chooses to detail them to us and even though the alleged perpetrator no longer works for either Syco or Sony Music.’

    X Factor icon Chico Slimane also recently spoke about the show, claiming it ‘uses and abuses you’ and is only interested in making ‘money’ from contestants.

    The singer, 50, who appeared in the second series of the ITV singing show back in 2005, said the people behind the show ‘don’t care about you’ and that artists are a ‘commodity’ to them.

    He said: ‘You’re a commodity, you are as good as the money you’re going to make them. That is it. You are completely replaceable and as I said it’s a conveyor belt. if you’re not going to do it, someone else will take your place to do it.’

    Speaking out: Chico Slimane also recently alleged the show'uses and abuses you' and is only interested in making'money' from contestants (pictured on the X Factor in 2005)

    Speaking out: Chico Slimane also recently alleged the show ‘uses and abuses you’ and is only interested in making ‘money’ from contestants (pictured on the X Factor in 2005)

    Speaking on Late night with Cristo on talkRADIO, the former goat herder who now runs a wellness retreat in Portugal told that although the show gave him a ‘platform’ to do other things, he believes singers are ‘naive’ for thinking they’d have long careers in the music industry.

    Former X Factor contestant Lloyd Daniels admitted he felt pressured to hide a same-sex relationship while competing on the show in 2009.

    Jahmene Douglas, who was runner up in 2012, also claimed people in the industry ‘close doors’ to make room for others despite their levels of talent.

    Additionally, former contestants Jedward also blasted Simon Cowell in a stunning tirade, claiming he sees himself as the ‘mafia leader’ of the music industry and said they regretted not telling the judges to ‘f**k off’ while on the ITV show.

    Claims: A source has said that'momentum is gathering' and others are'finding confidence to tell their stories' in the wake of Jedward (pictured) and Cher Lloyd's allegations

    Claims: A source has said that ‘momentum is gathering’ and others are ‘finding confidence to tell their stories’ in the wake of Jedward (pictured) and Cher Lloyd’s allegations 

    Meanwhile, Cher Lloyd accused bosses of taking advantage of her naivety and exploiting her. Cher, who finished fourth in the 2010 edition of X Factor, claimed she was ‘sold a dream’ when appearing on the show at 17, before being exploited.

    The now-27-year-old made the claims in a TikTok video, singing in a virtual duet: ‘How could I be so naive? They sold me the dream just to exploit me.’

    An X Factor spokesperson previously told MailOnline: ‘Duty of care to our contestants is of the utmost importance to us. We take welfare very seriously and have measures in place to ensure that they are supported.’

    And while many have spoken about their negative experience on the show, Honey G defended Simon and ITV producers.

    Former contestant: Cher Lloyd claimed in a TikTok video last month that she was'sold a dream' when appearing on the show at 17, before being exploited

    Former contestant: Cher Lloyd claimed in a TikTok video last month that she was ‘sold a dream’ when appearing on the show at 17, before being exploited

    The singer, who appeared on the show in 2016, insisted she wasn’t ‘used or exploited’ and she built a ‘strong relationship’ with bosses, adding that her experience was ‘very very positive.’

    Honey G, whose real name is Anna Gilford, told Metro she has no regrets about taking part in the X Factor, and she was given access to dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) while on the show.

    The singer, who came out as gay in 2017, added that she never felt pressured to hide her sexuality or publicly come out by bosses.

    She said: ‘I have to jump to Simon Cowell’s defence in this instance because I really can’t fault the duty of care that they had. My experience was very, very positive and I think they were lovely people. It was completely life-changing.’

    For confidential support call Rape Crisis England & Wales on 0808 802 9999 or visit rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help for more details.

    'My experience was very very positive': Honey G has defended Simon and ITV producers after a slew of former contestants slammed the show

    ‘My experience was very very positive’: Honey G has defended Simon and ITV producers after a slew of former contestants slammed the show

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