Another former X Factor contestant has waded into the debate surrounding Louis Walsh's comments while he currently participates in ITV's Celebrity Big Brother.
Walsh has sparked many a row while in the house, dishing out no-holds-barred opinions on Meghan Markle, slamming singer Ronan Keating, and branding Irish pop duo Jedward as "vile".
Jedward - real names Jonathan and Edward Grimes - issued several comebacks to the 71-year-old's remarks and now, fellow X Factor star Katie Waissel has followed suit.
Waissel penned a lengthy post on X in which she showed solidarity with Jedward while also taking aim at both Walsh and X Factor as a whole.
She wrote to her 157.5k followers: "@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."
Turning her attention to Walsh, she continued: "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 abuse, manipulation and coercion that went on behind the scenes on the XFactor, of which myself and many others have spoken publicly about.
Louis Walsh has come under fire for his comments on Celebrity Big Brother
ITV
"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.
"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)
.@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,…
GB News has contacted ITV for comment on Waissel's remarks.
This isn't the first time the 2010 finalist has hit out at the X Factor over its duty of care.
In June last year, Waissel claimed her mental health wasn't taken seriously by the show after claiming she was "completely ridiculed" by staff.
An X Factor spokesperson told the BBC at the time: "Duty of care is of the utmost importance to us, and we always take contributor welfare extremely seriously.
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X Factor star Katie Waissel has slammed Louis Walsh
ITV/GETTY
"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."
