Former X Factor host Dermot O’Leary hits back amid complaints from show stars and says acts ‘were treated very well’
DERMOT O’Leary has defended X Factor after a number of former contestants have spoken out against the show.
The talent competition ran from 2004 and 2018, igniting the careers of stars including One Direction, Leona Lewis, JLS and Little Mix.
However, in the years since the show has ended, former competitors have spoken out against the show and the treatment they received backstage.
This has largely been sparked by Katie Waissel, who appeared in the seventh series, with others including Jedward, Rebecca Ferguson and Cher Lloyd following suit.
But Dermot, who hosted the show from 2007, has now spoken out against their claims, instead blaming the fallout of their appearance, rather than the series itself.
“If the show was made now, it’d be made differently,” he told Sunday Times. “The culture is different, but it was pretty much always celebratory.”
“Look, not everyone on the show is going to knock it out of the park. Not everyone is going to have the best experience,” he later conceded.
“But most of the people we had on were treated really well, and a lot of people who have talked negatively about their experiences are talking about what happened after they left.”
Explaining that he believed contestants “missed the bubble” of the show, he added: “If there is a duty of care to be looked at, it’s what happens afterwards.”
Dermot’s comments come after Matt Terry, who won the 2016 series, said he hoped the show “never” returns to screens, amid rumours Simon Cowell could reboot it.
He told MailOnline: “Never! It’s not good – it’s not good for people. I’m strong, and I know how I dealt with it.
“You go in there and you’re built up, and I was a waiter beforehand, so I’d never done anything of the sort, and you’re kind of thrust in.
“If X Factor comes back, I just hope they put some sort of psychological moment in for people. There are people who have come years before me that are still confused and struggle with their identity.”
Katie Waissel has spoken out about her treatment on the show, saying the backlash she received resulted in her getting diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Cher Lloyd, who competed in 2010, also posted a video online claiming she had been “sold a dream” and “exploited” on X Factor.
In 2021, Matt Cardle, who beat One Direction to the win in 2010, said he considered it a “miracle” that some contestants hadn’t taken their own lives after the experience.
Janet Devlin has previously claimed X Factor bosses weren’t immediately concerned about her suicidal thoughts while she was on the show in 2011.
Misha B, who participated the same year, admits she contemplated taking her own life after she was accused of bullying on live TV by judges Louis Walsh and Tulisa.
Even Jade Thirlwall, part of Little Mix, declared in her solo single Angel of My Dreams that she had “sold her soul to a psycho” in a swipe at Simon Cowell’s SyCo records, whom the band signed with after winning before an acrimonious split in 2018.
However, it is believed that at one point X Factor hired a psychologist who was present at all judge auditions, bootcamp and key stages in the competition.
A doctor also supervised the screening of contestants, and provided support amid welfare concerns.
In response to Matt Terry’s comments, a representative told MailOnline: ‘We take the welfare of everyone involved in our shows extremely seriously and during Matt’s time on the show in 2016, there were robust measures in place to ensure everyone involved in the making of the programme was supported throughout their experience and beyond.
“Including a dedicated welfare team made up of psychologists, doctors, welfare producers and independent legal and management advisors with no time limit on aftercare once the show had aired.”
“These measures were under constant review, and we have always been proactive in adapting and updating them for future series to reflect the requirements of the show.”
The Sun has reached out to X Factor representatives for comment.