Since its debut in 2004, the X Factor has become a household name in the UK. A former contestant has now spoken out about what actually happens in the show’s backstage scenes.
The X Factor has been on our screens for many years, showcasing fresh talent every year. For many Brits, it’s a yearly tradition – that one show we can all get behind when it returns. But one former contestant has now broken his silence, and what he says about the show might just make you see it in a different way.
Wagner, who became a wildcard favourite back in 2010, didn’t quite make the final – but he still managed to leave his mark until he was booted out of the quarter final. That season saw Matt Cardle crowned as the winner and One Direction launching into stardom.
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More than ten years later, Wagner has made strong assertions about what actually happened in the background. He claims that the producers were the ones calling the shots rather than the mentors.
He asserted that “the judges are actors.” Nothing was ever true in the reality TV show, but everything was planned out in advance, and Louis and I only spoke to each other for the cameras. Additionally, he continued to say that Louis, his vocal coach, lacked a mentorship.
Critics launched an online campaign to win the show as a way to “p*ss off Simon” while he was still on it. However, after a sing-off with Mary Byrne, he was chosen to finish in sixth place.
He went on to say that his vocal coach felt more like a mentor than Louis Walsh and he’s not even convinced the judges even picked the songs. “I’m sure the producers would pick the songs for us,” he said
And it’s alleged that the criticism is also scripted. Wagnerer claimed that producers would provide feedback to the vocal coaches before airing it to the judges.
“They would stare at the camera, but occasionally they would pause and read the script.” Some people would appear differently than others”! he stated
He also suggested the panel – once made up of Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh – slowly changed into “anyone can be a judge”.
Because they couldn’t rely on the judges to be witty or quick thinking, the script was written to keep the entertainment going.
Simon claimed that Simon’s attempt to derail the show had failed at the time. We’ve given this show back to the public because there were people trying to derail it.
But Wagner says otherwise “It’s not democracy, it’s showbusiness”, he said. “They knew that they wanted to promote One Direction and everybody else were just extras in the play.”
There is no evidence that the votes were rigged, despite the claim that he claimed a merchandising staff member informed him that he had led the vote when he was sent home.
Wagner also revealed Louis faked the pair’s interactions. Louis kept mispronouncing his name in each episode, saying it was Wag-nah rather than the right Vawg-ner.
Louis and I joked it was funny. Wagner explains. He said, “I’m gonna call you Wagner all the time, and you’re gonna call me Louis, Vawg-ner.” He claimed that Louis had the idea for that and it was fun. It was wise.
However despite his claims, it is clear The X Factor helped to launch household names like Little Mix, Olly Murs and Alexandra Burke. But over the years, stories emerged about the show’s darker side – with some former stars alleging scenes were staged to boost ratings.
Wagner made the most of his fame by generating money from personalized video messages for fans despite not taking the top spot. “From the videos I would get £100, 000 a year”, he said.
But he made a career change and tried to perform a hair transplant in Brazil when the money started to run dry. He eventually returned to the UK and founded his band Kings with Wings: The Wagner Rock Band, a name derived from his passion for birdwatching.
He claimed that despite having numerous bookings, “I felt so uneasy when singing She Bangs because my God, that song is stupid but people still enjoy it.”
Wagner is currently compiling his own setlist, which includes songs by legendary artists like Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, and The Rolling Stones.
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Source: Mirror
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