Rylan says ‘things happened to me as an X Factor contestant that I wouldn’t allow now’

TV host Rylan has suggested he was mistreated behind the scenes on The X Factor.

The TV star appeared as a contestant on the ninth series of the ITV talent show in 2012, during which he defeated the odds to finish fifth.

He started out being considered that year’s “joke” contestant, but overcame jibes from judge Gary Barlow to finish fifth in the quarter-final. That year’s series was won by James Arthur.

In recent years, some ex-contestants on the series, which was oficially cancelled by ITV in 2021 after 17 years on air, have claimed they were mistreated by producers when the cameras weren’t rolling.

These allegations will be explored in a new documentary, which is set to be broadcast in 2023.

In a new interview with The Independent, Rylan alleges that “there was one massive incident” he went through during his time on the series.

“When I was a contestant, a lot of things happened that I wouldn’t let happen to me now,” he said. “It’s not my story to tell but I’m sure that people will know what happened at some point. I just know that I did everything right.”

The TV and radio host suggested that the manner in which claims he was treated has made it clear how not to act when dealing with people who were in his position in 2012.

“All I can say from being on the other side is that I make sure, with all the shows I work on, people are looked after and maybe that comes from a place of being in situations where I didn’t feel that I was,” he continued.

“When I used to do Big Brother, I’d go and see all the housemates after they went in and would always make sure they were OK.”

An ITV spokesperson said: “Duty of care to our contestants is of the utmost importance to us. We take the welfare of anyone involved in our programmes extremely seriously and have thorough and robust measures in place to ensure everyone feels supported.

“These measures are under constant review and are adaptable to reflect the unique requirements for each series.”

Read The Independent’s full interview with Rylan here.