{"id":552100,"date":"2026-03-21T23:12:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T23:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/552100\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T23:12:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T23:12:10","slug":"x-factor-winners-demand-simon-cowell-take-responsibility-over-trauma-from-itv-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/552100\/","title":{"rendered":"X Factor winners demand Simon Cowell \u2018take responsibility\u2019 over \u2018trauma\u2019 from ITV show"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former X Factor winners have called on Simon Cowell to \u201ctake responsibility\u201d for the show’s impact, with some describing lasting trauma from their experience.<\/p>\n

Speaking exclusively to GB News ahead of the debut of World\u2019s Greatest Lover at The Other Palace, Matt Terry, Dalton Harris and Jaymi Hensley opened up about their time on the programme.<\/p>\n

Mr Terry, who won the competition in 2016, said that while the show changed his life, it also came with serious consequences that are only now being fully understood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are multiple truths,\u201d he explained. \u201cSo much good came from it…but I\u2019ve also had to do two years of therapy to understand what I went through.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"World's<\/p>\n

World’s Greatest Lover London cast<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

World’s Greatest lover<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cPeople were making millions off your poor mental health\u2026 that\u2019s not okay. It\u2019s an abuse of power, in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

The singer also revealed how vulnerable contestants can be when entering the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had \u00a34 in my bank account when I entered the show,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat else am I going to do? I\u2019m going to say yes to everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Harris, who won the show in 2018, echoed those concerns, describing the industry as \u201cunregulated\u201d and warning that contestants can quickly become commodified.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/p>\n

Matt Terry won the 13th season of The X Factor in 2016<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

X FACTOR\/ITV<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are the business,\u201d he said. \u201cYou become an accessory for viewership\u2026 it\u2019s almost like a farm for your trauma.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cI signed up to use my gift, not to be used.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both stars stressed that while they have been able to move forward in their careers, others have not been as fortunate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are people from X Factor and Love Island still suffering today,\u201d Mr Terry said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people\u2019s lives are forever changed off a TV show.\u201d<\/p>\n

The discussion comes amid renewed scrutiny of the programme ahead of a forthcoming documentary examining its legacy, with reports suggesting Mr Cowell will take part.<\/p>\n

When asked what they would like to hear from the music mogul, Mr Terry said: \u201cSome accountability from Simon Cowell would be lovely.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cYou can\u2019t sit there and say \u2018I made you famous\u2019, that\u2019s not what matters anymore. We didn\u2019t go on the show for fame. We went to do what we love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Harris added that greater care should be taken when dealing with young contestants whose futures are shaped by the show.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have people\u2019s lives in your hands, that\u2019s a huge responsibility,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to change someone\u2019s life, you owe it to them to handle that with care.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Mr Hensley, who rose to fame as part of boyband Union J, emphasised that experiences on the show vary widely.<\/p>\n

\"Dalton<\/p>\n

X Factor winner Dalton Harris said greater care should be taken when dealing with young contestants<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

X FACTOR\/ ITV<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a positive experience, that\u2019s my truth,\u201d he said. \u201cEveryone\u2019s journey is different.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added that while accountability is important, it is equally vital to recognise that not all contestants share the same outcome.<\/p>\n

Despite their differing views, all three agreed that the impact of the show is long-lasting and deeply personal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe X Factor is something we did, it\u2019s not who we are,\u201d Mr Terry said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it has had a huge impact on all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Union<\/p>\n

Union J placed fourth place in the ninth season of The X Factor in 2012<\/p>\n

| <\/p>\n

X FACTOR\/ITV<\/p>\n

The singers are now focusing on a new chapter in their careers, starring in the West End production World\u2019s Greatest Lover, as they continue to navigate life beyond reality television.<\/p>\n

World\u2019s Greatest Lover is a new pop-rock musical making its London premiere at The Other Palace this spring.<\/p>\n

The production features an all-star cast of pop talent and West End performers, bringing together history\u2019s most iconic romantics in a high-energy, music-led exploration of love and desire.<\/p>\n

Mr Hensley joked: \u201cI never want to be in a boyband\u2026 but I just can\u2019t seem to get away from them.\u201d<\/p>\n

All three stars also described the production as \u201cthe safest space\u201d they have experienced in theatre thus far.<\/p>\n

World\u2019s Greatest Lover premieres on June 12, 2026 at The Other Palace, London.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former X Factor winners have called on Simon Cowell to \u201ctake responsibility\u201d for the show’s impact, with some…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":552101,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[49,48,3332,75,348],"class_list":{"0":"post-552100","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-celebrity","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}