Ray BLK claims X Factor bosses pressured her into using disabled brother as sob story

Ray BLK spoke out about her X Factor experience (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for LOUIS XIII)

Ray BLK has opened up about her experiences on The X Factor, claiming that show bosses pressured her into using her disabled brother as a sob story.

The singer-songwriter took part in the audition stage of the show at the age of 16 and described it as a ‘dark’ process.

Ray BLK, now 26, spoke about the show on the Straight Up podcast, saying: ‘X Factor is a really grilling process.’

‘There are three auditions even before the live audition, and the whole experience….they hype you to make you feel like you’ve won this s***. The producers call you every day to say how excited Simon [Cowell] is to meet you, and they hype you up to think this is it for you.’

She added: ‘This is very distasteful, because I have a disabled brother. He is autistic, deaf and dumb. And the producers call you to look for a sob story. It’s dark. 

‘They found out about my brother and they asked if I could bring him to the auditions, and to talk to the camera about “What it would mean to him”.’

Ray BLK appeared on Simon Cowell’s X Factor aged 16 (Picture: Dymond/Thames/Syco/REX)

The RnB singer went on to say: ‘They applied so much pressure and I was just 16, and they were coercing me into selling my family to be on TV.’

It’s not the first time that she has spoken about the programme. Tweeting in 2020, the singer wrote: ‘X factor is so so so so so toxic. They’ve damaged & broken a lottt of contestants.’

It comes after a number of The X Factor stars have spoken out about the UK version of the show.

Rebecca Ferguson, who competed in 2010, has campaigned for better protection of the welfare of reality stars and artists in the music industry, following her experience on The X Factor.

More: The X Factor

Rebecca also spoke out in support of fellow 2010 contestant Katie Waissel after she alleged she was sexually assaulted by a member of The X Factor team.

Ray BLK is due to release her debut album, Access Denied, in September. It’s a long time coming, after she won the BBC’s Sound of 2017.

Metro.co.uk has reached out to ITV and Thames TV for comment.

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