Louis Walsh has come under fire from another X Factor star after he launched a blistering attack on his former act Jedward on Celebrity Big Brother this week.
The 71-year-old has sparked controversy while in the house, dishing out cutting opinions on Meghan Markle, slamming singer Ronan Keating, and branding Jedward as "vile".
Following his comments about twins John and Edward Grimes, Waissel, who appeared on the talent show in 2010, has come to the Irish pop duo’s defence on X, formerly Twitter.
The singer also accused Walsh of being part of a “manipulative” environment behind the scenes and claimed that a public inquiry should be launched into the programme.
Waissel wrote on Wednesday: “@planetjedward firstly, having met you both personally, I can unequivocally state that you are by no means ‘vile’, if anything you are both absolutely the contrary to this! I stand firmly behind you in your corner, always.
“What I wish for the general public to take from this, is that Louis Walsh, former XFactor judge, has confirmed and revealed on national television, the tip of the iceberg of... manipulation... that went on behind the scenes on the XFactor, of which myself and many others have spoken publicly about.
“By stating he (Louis Walsh) made £5million off of Jedward, immediately after calling them ‘vile’ and stating that they made ‘great tv’, in itself, only but further confirms how the show was disturbingly manufactured and manipulated,” she added.
“This is not the first time a former judge has disclosed contradictory and manipulated tactics to secure contestants, all in the while, completely unbeknownst to the contestants themselves.
“All contestants were lead to believe they entered a singing competition, as did the general public.
“There are serious and significant issues that need to be addressed, and further remedied, by all parties involved in the making, producing and broadcasting of the now cancelled show, XFactor, as well as a public inquiry to be held, to ensure the future of music and television is protected through their findings, to update policy, regulation, and legislation. #CBBUK #LouisWalsh #Jedward [sic].”
The Standard has contacted Freemantle, Thames TV and Walsh’s representatives for comment.
This isn't the first time Waissel has hit out at the X Factor over its duty of care, having claimed last June that her mental health wasn't taken seriously by the show.
.@planetjedward firstly, having met you both personally, I can unequivocally state that you are by no means ‘vile’ , if anything you are both absolutely the contrary to this! I stand firmly behind you in your corner, always.
— Katie Waissel (@katiewaissel24) March 13, 2024
What I wish for the general public to take from this,…
In response to her claims, an X Factor spokesperson told the BBC: “Duty of care is of the utmost importance to us, and we always take contributor welfare extremely seriously.
“During the 2010 series of The X Factor, 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.”
Waissel wasn’t the only former X Factor alum to criticise Walsh as 2004 winner Steve Brookstein, who was mentored by Simon Cowell, said he felt vindicated in branding the Irish music manager a “c***”.
He tweeted on Tuesday: “20 years ago I said Louis Walsh was a c*** and only now people are realising it. Better late than never.”
