ThisisBigBrother.com - UK TV Forums - Former X Factor hopeful tormented by boyband contestant in X Factor House

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An X Factor contestant told last night of her sex-pest nightmare on the hit show.

In a shock for viewers of tonight’s quarter-final, the female singer says she was…

INVITED to perform a sex act on a boyband performer in the contestants’ shared house in a previous series.

HUMILIATED when she refused and the man then told other finalists he had watched her undress without her knowledge.

FORCED to live with the perv in the house to keep her dream of winning alive, even after she told a producer of her ordeal.

The girl, who remains fearful of *revealing her identity because of the power held by the show within the music industry, told the Sunday People: “I cried myself to sleep most nights out of humiliation and desperation at the situation.

“I felt I had nowhere to turn because there was such a victim-blaming *culture. I was made to feel like the show was the real victim, not me.

“I was made to feel like if I spoke up about what happened to me, or made a fuss, the bad press for the show could damage my chances.

“No one said that explicitly but I was told that the producers would deal with it and I think not enough was done.”

There is no suggestion that Simon Cowell, who oversees the ITV flagship show, was aware of the allegations.

But the girl, who made it to the final six, says: “The male contestant should have been asked to leave but he just got a rap on the knuckles.

“The X Factor should have been the happiest days of my life but they were actually the *darkest because of the way I was treated and the way I was made to feel.”

The former finalist has spoken out amid a wave of sleazy sex allegations against showbusiness figures.

She is still forging a career in music and was thrilled to get through to the final 12 of the show.

But she says her excitement turned to shock when a rival in the X Factor house made an explicit demand.

She says: “A male contestant who I hardly knew leaned over and suggested forcefully I perform a sex act on him, like it was normal and if I said no I was not playing the celebrity game *properly. I was in total shock.

“The show gives some *contestants a power trip, like they’re unstoppable as they have the X Factor machine *behind them.

“I felt sick and panicked but I told him I didn’t want to and pulled away. He then made it his business to humiliate and harass me for my whole time on the show. He carried a huge grudge and made my life very difficult.

“I couldn’t tell a soul to begin with because I was frozen – paralysed.

“I had to live in a house with him. Then I heard a nasty and humiliating rumour about me being spread around. The same male contestant said he had secretly watched me getting changed and laughed and joked about it with other contestants.

“I was horrified and told a producer what was happening at that point.

“To the producer’s credit they were shocked and addressed the situation with the other contestant. But I think my well-being came second.

“I was not encouraged to report it higher up or to inform the authorities. The impression I got was that the X Factor was the real victim if this made its way into the tabloids.”

The contestant, who admits she lacked experience when she was thrust into the limelight, said she has been subjected to similar harassment as she has worked on her singing career.

She continued: “I don’t feel X Factor is solely to blame. It’s celebrity culture as a whole but X Factor is a big part.

“I ended up sexually humiliated and felt threatened yet I was too scared to make a fuss. Only looking back can I see how wrong that was.”

The singer admits she did not voice her concerns directly with SyCo music label mogul Cowell.

Last night Fremantlemedia, who make The X Factor, said: “We treat the safety and well-being of all our contestants with the highest priority.

“We always encourage anyone to come forward with concerns they may have and all concerns are taken very seriously and escalated where *necessary. Despite being a historic complaint, if this person wishes to contact us we will investigate.”

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/x...yband-11587910