Rebecca Ferguson, a former X Factor contestant, requires investigation into actuality TV
Former X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has referred to as for an investigation into actuality TV exhibits, to “protect future contestants”, claiming there are “terrifying” issues happening behind the scenes.
The 36-year-old posted a sequence of tweets on Twitter, telling her 645,000 followers: “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.”
She went on to name on Dame Caroline Dinenage, the chair of parliament’s tradition, media and sport committee, to ask for an impartial inquiry, interviewing herself, and all earlier X Factor workers between 2004 and the current day, including “what you’ll uncover is beyond terrifying!”
In 2010, the Liverpool-born singer got here second on the seventh sequence of the show, which was received by Matt Cardle.
Ferguson has beforehand campaigned for the introduction of a regulatory physique for the music trade, in a bid to make sure artist welfare.
She went on to share a screenshot of an e mail which she mentioned she despatched to ITV and Ofcom in 2021 calling for an “urgent inquiry” into the therapy of contestants on actuality exhibits, however mentioned she had been “fobbed off”.
Ferguson wrote: “I was refused by ITV and OFCOM, no investigation was taken place and my concerns appeared to be fobbed off.
“I’m open to communication ought to they now want to observe up with my non-public criticism now that I’ve made my criticism public.”
In the email, she listed reasons for her complaint including contestants being “mentally manipulated and abused while having psychological well being issues” and being “lowered to tears as a consequence of strain/bullying”.
She mentioned contestants had been additionally “forced into contracts without independent legal advice” and made to “sign to a management company with no freedom of choice”. She mentioned contestants had been informed in the event that they refused, they’d be “kicked off the show”.
She mentioned her cause for making the “formal complaint” to OFCOM in 2021 was “to ensure the future safety of contestants and ensure adequate safeguarding measures are put in place to protect future contestants”.
An Ofcom spokesperson mentioned that they did reply to Ferguson and met along with her just about in 2021.
They mentioned in an announcement: “We listened carefully to the extent of her concerns about the treatment of contestants during her time on The X Factor in 2010.
“During these exchanges, we defined our powers and the way our broadcasting guidelines apply intimately. We confirmed that new guidelines launched to guard contributors in programmes weren’t relevant to programmes broadcast earlier than April 5, 2021.
“We also clarified that our statutory remit, as set by parliament, means that our fairness rules do not extend to contractual matters or conditions imposed by broadcasters on participants, and only to content as broadcast.
“We recommended to Ms Ferguson doable routes to escalate her complaints to ITV and the suitable authorities.”
ITV responded to Ferguson’s claims, saying they were “dedicated to having in place appropriate processes to guard the psychological well being and welfare of programme contributors”.
Their statement went on: “We have continued to evolve and strengthen our strategy, and we count on all producers of commissioned programmes to have in place applicable procedures to take care of the psychological well being of programme contributors in addition to their bodily security.
“Those processes and procedures will differ from programme to programme, to ensure that the welfare of all participants in ITV programmes is appropriately safeguarded.
“Whilst the sensible detailed processes required to handle participant welfare in every programme should sit with producers themselves, ITV as a broadcaster and commissioner of content material supplies steering on what we think about to be greatest observe: within the number of contributors earlier than filming, in supporting them throughout filming, and in continued assist as much as and after the printed of the programme.”
ITV said that in its correspondence with Ferguson it had stressed contestant welfare was of the “highest precedence”, as mirrored of their duty of care charter and “detailed guidance” which was launched in 2019.
They mentioned: “ITV responded to Rebecca with info offered to us by the producers, detailing their preparations relating to welfare, aftercare, authorized recommendation, and administration, on the time of her participation.”
The broadcaster has faced criticism in recent years following the deaths of former Love Island contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis in 2018 and 2019, and the death of a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show in 2019, which resulted in the show being axed.
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After rising to fame on X Factor, Ferguson has gone on to release four albums and became a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women.
In 2021 she met with former culture secretary Oliver Dowden to discuss discrimination in the music industry.
Last month, ITV announced it had instructed a barrister to carry out an external review of the facts after Phillip Schofield’s departure from popular breakfast show This Morning, following an affair with a younger employee.
ITV chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall will be questioned about the Schofield scandal by the DCMS committee in parliament on Wednesday.
Chair of the committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, told Sky News the meeting will not be a “witch hunt” in opposition to the previous presenter, however is meant to ask wider questions on office tradition and practices inside each ITV and different public service broadcasters.