X FACTOR PROBE
X Factor will face probe as well as This Morning after Rebecca Ferguson slams treatment on ITV show
X FACTOR will face a probe as well as This Morning after Rebecca Ferguson slammed the treatment on the ITV show.
The chair of the Culture, Media and Sport committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, has revealed the talent show will be a "real focus" of an investigation.
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Dame Caroline told how - ahead of her grilling ITV chief Dame Carolyn McCall next week - many former contestants hoping to become singers reached out to report "bullying".
The inquest was said to have become focused on This Morning and Phillip Schofield, 61, after his scandal became public.
However, Dame Caroline has told it will focus on a number of reality shows including Love Island and Britain's Got Talent.
Speaking to TalkTV, she said: "We've got a lot of questions, you know, and I'm not interested in a witch hunt.
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"I'm not really actually interested very much in the Phillip Schofield issue and I think that's been discussed by everybody.
"What I'm interested in are what are the systems and processes at ITV and in fact, other public service broadcasters to ensure that these giants, these gods of broadcasting, if you like, don't have undue influence over the careers and lives of other young members of staff."
It comes just days after Rebecca Ferguson, 36, alleged ITV boss Dame Carolyn refused to launch an inquiry into post-show aftercare and codes of conduct on the shows in question.
The second-place contestant claimed participants on The X Factor were "forced into contracts without independent legal advice", "mentally manipulated and abused" and "reduced to tears due to bullying".
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Taking to Twitter she wrote: "I’m bound by multiple NDAs but I cannot continue to not live in my full truth, being silent is worse.
"I’ve lived through hell for years."
The singer, who was just 23 years old at the time, appeared on the show during the 2010 series.
She said senior figures at ITV "abused their power" and forced her to sign contracts she hadn't even read.
Rebecca is now asking for an independent inquiry into ITV and The X Factor from 2004 onwards - insisting that what will be discovered is "beyond terrifying".
A spokesperson for ITV said: "ITV is committed to having in place suitable processes to protect the mental health and welfare of programme participants.
"We have continued to evolve and strengthen our approach, and we expect all producers of commissioned programmes to have in place appropriate procedures to look after the mental health of programme participants as well as their physical safety.
"In our correspondence with Rebecca we stressed that the welfare of participants is of the highest priority at ITV as reflected in our Duty of Care Charter and the , introduced in 2019, we now have available for all producers, to ensure that the welfare of participants is adequately safeguarded on all our programmes.
"ITV responded to Rebecca with information provided to us by the producers, detailing their arrangements regarding welfare, aftercare, legal advice, and management, at the time of her participation."
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Rebecca's shocking claims come hot on the heels of the recent drama at fellow ITV show This Morning.
Following the axing of presenter Phillip Schofield - after his confession of an "unwise but not illegal" affair with a much younger male colleague, many former employees have spoken out about a "toxic" environment behind the scenes.
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