Music mogul Pete Waterman got ITV to draft in a psychiatrist while making Popstars: The Rivals – because he feared for hopefuls’ mental health.
Waterman revealed how the expert was put in place when he raised the alarm back in 2002.
The show launched the careers of Girls Aloud, featuring stars like Cheryl Cole and Sarah Harding, though there is no suggestion the band needed help.
Waterman’s revelation comes after days of former contestants making allegations about Popstars’ follow-up show X Factor.
Pop producer Waterman, now 74, told the Sunday People: “I fetched in a psychiatrist to the house because of the mental problems that were going down.
They were arguing, and scheming, there were rumours of physical fighting. It was too much.
“Some of the contestants were hysterical. It was not normal.
“It was evident to me that the pressure was on and that they could not deal with that pressure within the house.”
Waterman said the contestants themselves could often cause problems.
He explained: “They would tell fibs and make up stories to get on TV. When they are in the house with other guys, the other guys suss them out and tell them it’s not true.
“They put themselves under that pressure because they want to win so badly.
"They go on the show and say ‘I’ll shake hands with my best mate, I love you dearly’. B******s, they are stabbing them in the back. They want to win that show.”
Waterman, who was also a judge on Pop Idol with Simon Cowell, added: “As soon as I told the producers at ITV they got a psychiatrist and ever since they have had one on hand with those shows to take care of vulnerables.
“We didn’t understand that on the first two shows. That was at the very beginning over 19 years ago.
"But as soon as we realised help for the contestants was needed and they didn’t quite get the situation they were in, it was brought in.
“Maybe the only thing we should have done which we didn’t do was tell the public and the audience that we had brought in psychiatrists.”
X Factor’s 2010 runner-up Rebecca Ferguson has called for an overhaul of such shows.
Fellow stars Cher Lloyd, 27, and Irish twins Jedward, 29, have taken swipes at ITV’s singing contest.
Ferguson, whose hits include Nothing’s Real But Love, called for a requirement for music managers and agents to “have a licence” and said they should “face a tribunal should they
mistreat an artist or employee”.
Last night ITV said: “Welfare and duty of care towards our contributors is always our primary concern.
“We have continued to evolve this process to ensure that contestants are supported before, during and after they appear on screen.”
