Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Frances Kindon & Nia Dalton & Frances Kindon

Strictly: Fleur East's sassy clapback to Simon Cowell's savage dig about her career

Before taking to the dance floor on Strictly Come Dancing, Fleur East cut her teeth on a slew of different talent shows.

From finding fame on the X Factor to presenting Saturday Night Takeaway and hosting ITV's The Void, she has been a regular on the small screen for years. But it was her decision to compete on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here that sparked the most conversation.

Especially with one person - her former boss, Simon Cowell.

The pair parted ways when Fleur was dropped from his Syco record label after just one album, with Fleur claiming she felt like she'd been 'left on the shelf'.

Simon took a swipe at Fleur for going into the I'm A Celebrity jungle (PA)
Fleur was the one left laughing after her success on the show (ITV)

And while judging another hopeful on his since-retired singing show, Simon took aim at Fleur's stint in I'm A Celeb.

The media mogul didn't hold any punches when he told singer Scarlett Lee: "I don't want you in the jungle in two years drinking worm juice. I want you either on Broadway, West End, [or] selling records."

Audience members could be heard booing Simon while viewers at home appeared unimpressed with his dig at Fleur, who was in the Australian jungle at the time.

But Fleur doesn't suffer fools and was quick to point out that her time in the jungle had, in fact, been a massive success.

"I think Simon's a smart man. I think it was a bit of a joke, to be honest," she insisted at the National Television Awards in 2019.

"And while I was in the jungle, 'Sax' went back into the Top 40, so... who's laughing, really?"

Fleur was runner-up on the X Factor (Daily Record)

Fleur's journey to fame has not been easy, and she's fought hard to be where she is today.

After being runner-up on X Factor, she was signed to Syco and her first single, Sax, and her debut album, Love, Sax and Flashbacks, both performed well in the charts.

At that point, Fleur thought "she'd made it."

But amid frustration about where her career was headed, she was dropped in 2017 - three years after her X Factor success.

"If I'm honest being on such a major label and then having to change direction put everything into perspective and made me not take anything for granted," she told The Sun.

"When you get thrown into fame there's a lot of weight on your shoulders.

Fleur is channelling her energy into Strictly Come Dancing (PA)

"It made me critical of myself and you start to feel the pressure to be something you're not and start comparing yourself to others because you think you've got to beat that person."

But her struggle was brought into sharp focus after the tragic suicide of her friend, who penned a message on social media that resonated with Fleur.

"The person said they were pretending to be something they weren't and that they had lost their way. It really brought things into perspective," she explained.

"It gave me a good reality check and kept my feet on the ground, which is really important to me."

Shaken by the loss, Fleur then "hit the reset button" and started over, appearing on the 2018 series of I'm a Celebrity, where the popular campmate finished in fourth place.

Now, Fleur is rising to the top of the scoreboard on Strictly Come Dancing, where she's become a hit with judges and fans.

Who do you think will win Strictly Come Dancing this year? Have your say in the comments section below...

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.