FORMER X Factor star Chico says he is “bewildered” by the shock claims currently rocking the ITV show.
Reports over the weekend alleged that six former contestants are preparing a £1m lawsuit against Simon Cowell’s company SyCo over bullying claims.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, Chico, real name Yousepph Slimani, said he found the allegations astonishing.
The 50-year-old told Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster on GB News Breakfast: “In terms of my time on the show, I’ve got nothing to complain about in any way shape or form because we were looked after by our own mentors who gave us songs we all had to agree on. There was a consensus that you were happy to do that song. As far as I’m concerned when I hear this and the claims being made, it’s bewildering to me.”
Chico, who appeared on the show in 2005 and made the quarter final, added: “One thing I would say, is that the difference back in my day, seventeen years ago, was we didn’t have social media so that didn’t follow us around 24/7. But, regarding the wellbeing of people on the show at the time, I’ve got to say it was absolutely incredible. Simon actually said to me the show I was on was later used as a template for the other series which followed.”
X Factor aired on ITV from 2004 to 2019, with talks reportedly in place to revive the series once again.”
Over the weekend the Sunday Mirror reported that a group, consisting of five solo acts and one band, has approached a major law firm to help sue SyCo.
Speaking to the publication anonymously, one of the acts said that they were going forward with allegations of “bullying, mistreatment and neglect” from their time on the show. Describing their experience on The X Factor as “horrific”, they said: “Myself and five former acts have agreed to join forces and get the justice we feel we deserve.
“Simon needs to take responsibility. We lost a lot of money from having periods of our lives not making money to deal with trauma still ingrained from the show.”
The group are reportedly looking for compensation after spending time and money “trying to make our lives normal again”.
“We have a lot of evidence, including emails, recordings and
psychological assessments that will show how we were mistreated,” they said.
SyCo told The Mirror that Cowell himself was not aware of, or involved in, any of the allegations. The Independent has contacted The X Factor for comment.
Earlier this month, it was reported that work is currently underway on a documentary set to expose claims of bullying, exploitation, and harassment on the show.
