Simon Cowell has addressed criticism of The X Factor and its duty of care policies, insisting he has “always tried, as much as we can, to look after our artists”.
The hit ITV show ran from 2004 to 2018 and introduced the world to future chart-toppers including Leona Lewis, Little Mix, One Direction and Olly Murs. But during the latter seasons and in the years since, Cowell and his production company, Syco Entertainment, have faced scrutiny over the support offered to the singers hoping to find fame on the show.
Cowell has addressed the criticism during an appearance on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, telling hosts Richard Osman and Marina Hyde: "We've always tried, as much as we can, to look after our artists. I mean, you send them out into what I call the 'real world' with as much advice as you possibly can with, you hope, great managers around them.
“I always partnered with a big label; Sony, BMG, so I had a massive infrastructure, I was a tiny cog in their company. So I made money in the same way the artists did, I got a royalty – the artists got paid a royalty.”
Cowell, now 66, added: “We would take artists to management hoping that they would be looked after, not ripped off and prepared.
"And then, over time, where there is discussions about mental health and duty of care, that has become much more something we think about, talk about and acknowledge. You have to."
His comments come after several former X Factor stars have criticised the show.
Jade Thirlwall - who is now enjoying solo success after Little Mix called it quits - told The Independent earlier this year: “I don’t know anyone that’s come off that show and not had some sort of mental health issue on the back of it [...] but also, even now, personally I’m conflicted criticising [it], because it changed my life.”
One of Cowell’s biggest critics has been 2010 contestant Katie Waissel, who said in 2023 that the show “ruined my life”. The singer, who was eliminated in the quarter-finals, told fans she had retrained as a lawyer to sue Cowell and Syco Entertainment over her alleged treatment on the programme.
“It’s not fair, there was a huge imbalance in power,” she said at the time. “I just wanted to be able to understand [the contracts] and to protect people from being manipulated in the future.”
In response, The X Factor co-producers Fremantle said it had “robust measures”, under constant review, to “ensure contestants are supported, including a dedicated welfare team made up of psychologists, doctors, welfare producers and independent legal and management advisers with no time limit on aftercare once the show has aired”.
