Entertainment
X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson defends Sharon Osbourne in wake of racism row: ‘You were kind to me and my children’
Former X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has reached out to Sharon Osbourne in the wake of the racism row that saw her leave the American TV show The Talk.
Sharon made an explosive exit from the US talk show after a clash with co-star Sheryl Underwood over criticisms Piers Morgan had made about the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle. An emotional Mrs O also demanded Sheryl ‘educate’ her on racism.
In an interview with Bill Maher Sharon said she departed the show because she ‘will not take being called a racist’.
Singer Rebecca, who finished second on The X Factor in 2010, messaged the TV star on Twitter saying she only has ‘good things’ to say about her.
The Too Good To Lose singer wrote: ‘@MrsSOsbourne I just wanted to say, I don’t think you are racist and it’s wrong that you was labelled that.
‘When I met you, you were lovely and kind to both myself and my children…and I will only ever have good things to say about you based on my experience. Take care x’.
The 33-year-old has been open about her painful experiences in the UK music industry and wants to move on, having been ‘shut down’ whenever she tries to talk about discrimination.
‘The industry say they support you, but they don’t, they close doors. They don’t want to know, in my experience,’ Rebecca told Metro.co.uk.
She continued: ‘I support the stars speaking out, I’ve spoken out.
‘But, at this time in my life where I’m trying to be positive, and I’ve gone through quite a lot of pain in the industry, I’m not hurting myself anymore…because I’ve tried. That’s how I feel.’
Sharon, who was an X Factor mentor from 2004 to 2007 and then again from 2016 to 2017, reportedly plans to tell her side of the story in a tell-all book.
‘I’m going to write a book. I’m going to tell everything. They didn’t gag me. I would never sign a gagging order, so I can do what I want,’ she declared in You magazine.
She continued: ‘I do not want my legacy to be, ”Well, she was a racist.” I mean, it’s insane. It’s just not true.
‘I get it. You want change in your country. But don’t start on a 68-year-old from England who likes the Queen. I’m the wrong one.’
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