Former ITV presenter Matt Richardson has opened up about being axed from The Xtra Factor – and the harsh way he found out about both his and co-star Caroline Flack’s sudden exits
Ex ITV presenter and comedian Matt Richardson has revealed the harsh way he discovered that he’d been “let go” from The X Factor’s spin-off show. Stand-up comic Matt presented companion show The Xtra Factor in 2013 alongside the late Caroline Flack, taking over from Olly Murs.
However, both Matt and Caroline confirmed the following year that they were not returning to the show, with Sarah-Jane Crawford replacing both of them for the 11th series.
Speaking about his departure over 12 years on, Matt told his TikTok followers: “I found out in the newspaper that Xtra Factor were letting me go – true story!” Opening up about his one series on the show, he continued: “It had gone ok-ish. I was quite inexperienced; they didn’t quite know what to do with me.”
He said that the series had finished in December of 2013 and that he was under the impression from executives that both Caroline and he would be returning for the next series. “I changed agents, and then we’re in March, April time,” he said.
“We were talking about the next year and I’d seen the exec and he was like, ‘It’s all good, it’s going to happen again, really excited to go again.’
“The channel were like, ‘Yeah we think it went well, we’ll go again.’ All of a sudden, some news stories start to appear in the papers and they’re like, ‘Matt and Caroline are being fired from the Xtra Factor.'”
Matt added that he went to the Xtra Factor for clarification and they said that the reports were incorrect. “Then my agent is then ringing Xtra Factor, production company Freemantle and the channel going, ‘What’s going on?’
“They’re going, ‘Rubbish, don’t listen to them, how dare they write that stuff.’ That went back and forth. More stories and then we rang up one day and they were like, ‘Actually, we’re going to get rid of you. Bye.'”
Back in 2014, Caroline and Matt were confirmed to have been “axed” from the show, with Sarah Jane Crawford taking over. A source told The Mirror at the time: “Simon Cowell has been bowled over by Sarah Jane, he thinks she will be brilliant.”
At the time, Caroline wrote on Instagram: “I have a lil announcement. After three brilliant years of hosting Xtra Factor its time to pass the baton. It’s been incredible and I’ll never forget it.
“How can I when I am married to Louis Walsh? It’s all he ever talks about at home. I wish the new team all the best and look forward to watching the new series.”
The Mirror approached Freemantle for comment.
Source: Mirror
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