The number of Ofcom complaints made in response to Cheryl’s raunchy X Factor performance have trebled.
The singer, 35, sparked outrage after she performed her comeback single Love Made Me Do It on Sunday night’s live results show.
The performance saw her gyrating against a bevy of male backing dancers, writhing on the floor and licking her hand while dressed in knee high boots and black hot pants.
The set sparked 15 complaints to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, but they have since trebled to 45.
An Ofcom spokesperson told Standard Online: “We are assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules, before deciding whether or not to investigate.”
Viewers slated the “cringe” performance with many branding it too “sexualised”.
The jump in complaints comes hours after she hit back at critics, saying she is tired of the “relentless abuse” and that she “loved” her performance.
In a lengthy Twitter statement she wrote: “Having spent 16 years in the public eye I have always been accepting of people's opinions. Me personally, my music and performances are never going to be for everyone. And that's OK.
“This level of relentless abuse should not be tolerated in any walk of life. From my appearance, my body size and shape to my performance and even dragging innocent people into this like they did to Nile Rodgers simply for a clickbait headline is totally uncalled for. It also gives the trolls a bigger voice and platform.”
Addressing reports she was left “devastated” on watching her set back, she concluded: “Ps…I did watch my performance back and I LOVED IT!”
Cheryl dropped Love Made Me Do It earlier this month, ending her four year hiatus from the music industry.
The track failed to make the Official Singles Chart top 10 and slid out of Spotify’s top 200 two days after release.
Cheryl will take to the stage again to perform on The Graham Norton Show on November 30.
