[Red Moon]

Doctor slams X Factor 'freak show' for 'abusing' contestants

A Clinical psychologist has lambasted the popular X Factor television show for publicly ridiculing people who he believes suffer from psychiatric illnesses and learning disabilities.

Speaking about an increasing level of bullying in a number of prime-time television shows, Dr Mark Harrold criticised the programme's format, which he says has been purposely designed to showcase people who have various mental deficiencies.

"I'm a psychologist in the area of learning disability and I have worked in the area for the past 18 years, but even members of the lay public who would stop and think about it would know that anyone who would stand up and sing -- tone deaf -- thinking that they were going to be stars has to have a very significant intellectual deficit.

"I'm particularly horrified by the X Factor programme where clearly these people have a learning disability or a psychiatric illness . . . the producers purposely bring these people in to present them in front of this panel."

He continued: "It seems that from the way they present it, thousands of people turn up for these auditions, the celebrity panel do not audition all of them and a very small number of those are filtered down to stand in front of the judges. So I think they purposely select these people and they have to know that they have a deficiency."

Dr Harrold has worked in the area of learning disability for nearly two decades and says he is horrified at the abuse that some of the contestants are subjected to.

When contacted, Louis Walsh said he did not wish to respond to the comments, saying "I am not going to be drawn on what some loony doctor has to say." Commenting on the show's panel of high-profile judges, including Ireland's Louis Walsh, Dr Harrold said he is appalled at their treatment of some of the show's more vulnerable contestants.

"I think it highlights their own inadequacies. They feel somehow validated or that their currency is enhanced using and abusing very vulnerable individuals. I think they shouldn't abuse vulnerable people -- clearly people with psychiatric illness and learning disabilities.

"They seem to want to manufacture this freak show by way of attracting viewers -- they don't give a damn about the people."

source: Irish Independent