Former X Factor contestant Katie Waissel has heaped praise on music industry mogul Sharon Osbourne for "exposing" the business, as she remembered friend and former One Direction star Liam Payne.
The British singer, 31, died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina on October 16.
As tributes flooded in from around the world for Payne - including heartbreaking statements from his former bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan - Osbourne claimed that the music industry had "let him down" as he battled his publicly known addictions.
In a statement posted to Instagram, the 72-year-old penned: "Liam, my heart aches. We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend."
Katie Waissel has heaped praise on Sharon Osbourne for speaking out about the music industry
PA / Getty / GB News
Speaking to GB News, Waissel reacted to Osbourne's admission and claimed she was "really blown away" by her candidness.
Waissel said of the post: "Finally, someone has called it how they've seen it, and that's what Sharon Osbourne is known for.
"It couldn't have been easy for Sharon to say something along those lines, but she has been in the industry for a very long time, and also is quite astute to the future generations coming up and coming through the music industry and the direction that it's heading in.
"So I think she gained a lot of praise from people behind the scenes in the industry, for her calling it how she saw it."
Sharon Osbourne claimed the One Direction star was 'let down' by the music industry
When pressed by host Tom Harwood on how she reflects on her own experience on The X Factor and being catapulted to national fame so quickly, Waissel claimed that it was a "dislocating" and "incredibly isolating" time in her life.
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Waissel told GB News: "You don't have the support or guidance to explain what is happening, let alone help you navigate through that. I can only speak on behalf of myself, but when you're a musician, a songwriter, an artist, you're so passionate about the art itself.
"You're not thinking about a Ferrari or notoriety or the alleged fame, it's just so exciting to be able to get out there on stage in front of fans that can sing a song back to you - that's the magic of music.
"But the type of fame that comes from a show such as The X Factor isn't really in alignment with how singers prior to those shows forecast it to be."
In criticism of the show's "transparency" and lack of care for the contestants "from the very beginning", Waissel added: "You've got to take a look at the bigger picture - the television show needed the press - we understand that, but where is the line drawn with transparency and then help and guidance through that."
When asked about her claims that Liam Payne's record label "should be investigated" amid suggestions that they "lacked support" for the star, Waissel said: "We have to get to the route of the issue here, and the very beginning point.
Waissel questioned if things may have been different had The X Factor provided support 'from the beginning'
GB News
"Something went wrong at the very beginning, and we've seen this systemically happen with former X Factor contestants prior to 2010 and after 2010.
"I beg to ask the question - had we all been given the right mental health support and welfare checks at the very beginning, perhaps we would have then had the resources and tools to navigate the future and digest it in a bit of a different way."
Finally, in a personal tribute to Liam Payne, Waissel recalled the star's "massive smile" and his "love and passion for music", admitting she is still "trying to wrap her head around it".
Waissel continued: "He was a tremendous person - a massive smile, huge personality, but was also very pragmatic and very level-headed, and somebody that I would call a confidante. He was really supportive towards me during my time in The X Factor and post."
