It’s been a difficult month for Simon Cowell after an onslaught of damning allegations against his hit show, The X Factor.
And sources tell Closer that his girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, has been supporting the media mogul after a string of former contestants recently claimed they were controlled and then mistreated by “powerful” managers, including Simon, 61, in their subsequent careers.
Jedward – who competed in 2009 – began the backlash when they told their social media followers, “Every contestant on The X Factor was a slave to the show and got paid zero while they made millions!”
The identical twins – John and Edward Grimes, 29 – also posted that they regretted not telling the judging panel to “f--k off” and added, “Other X Factor stars are silent to the machine in fear of not getting the job!”
Singer Rebecca Ferguson, who starred in the 2010 series, also took to social media to demand a parliamentary inquiry and an overhaul of the music industry. The singer, 34, added she’d been “warned” not to speak out before as it may affect her career.
Similarly, Cher Lloyd, who finished fourth in 2010, appeared to take a swipe at the show as she recorded a TikTok video, singing, “How could I be so naive? They sold me the dream just to exploit me.”
But former contestant Honey G – who made the live finals in 2016 and went on to release a hit single – defended Simon and the show, saying, “I have to jump to Simon Cowell’s defence in this instance because I really can’t fault the duty of care that they had. My experience was very, very positive and I think they were lovely people. It was completely life-changing.”
A spokesperson for the show – which last aired in 2019 and is unlikely to return this year – said, “Duty of care to our contestants is of the utmost importance to us. We take welfare very seriously and have measures in place to ensure that they are supported.”
Check out: The X Factor transformations - then and now
X Factor: The most shocking contestant transformations - SLIDER
1 of 15Leon Jackson
This spiky-haired teen won X Factor waaaaay back in 2007, scoring a Christmas number one with a cover of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey's When You Believe. And, while there's no denying that he was cute, the X Factor champion was definitely a bit too baby-faced for us to lust over properly. But, nowadays, he's looking VERY sexy indeed, after switching up everything from his hairstyle to his workout regime at the gym. He definitely looks good on it, doesn't he? Read more about Leon jackson's comeback career here.
2 of 15Frankie Cocozza
When Frankie Cocozza joined The X Factor back in 2011, he was a scruffy 18-year-old with birds nest hair and a LOT of eye makeup. Nowadays he looks far more mature and (dare we say it?) mega hot, sporting a wee bit of stubble and curl mousse in favour of his velvet jackets of old. We love his new look - how about you? Read more about his transformation here.
3 of 15Ray Quinn
The X Factor star first burst into our lives as a sweet and fresh-faced teenager from Liverpool, starring as tormented child Anthony Murray in the Channel 4 soap opera, Brookside. When he was 18-years-old, he auditioned for The X Factor and survived right up until the show's final, where he lost out to Leona Lewis. Since then, we've seen him appear in Dancing On Ice and in several West End musicals - but, when he was dismissed from his record label in November 2007, he fell off the radar a little bit. Now he's back - and he's DEFINITELY become a fan of lifting weights, hasn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
4 of 15Eoghan Quigg
Eoghan was just 16-year-old when he shot to fame in the ITV competition in 2008, and made it all the way to the final where he finished in third place. He landed a record deal after the show, but was sadly dropped when his debut single limped in at number 96 on the Official UK Singles Chart. Since then, Eoghan has turned his back on music – and instead has made a bit of a name for himself in Irish football. And he looks completely different, doesn't he? Read more about his transformation here.
5 of 15Rhydian Roberts
Remember Rhydian Roberts, who came runner-up on the 2007 series of The X Factor? Well the classical crooner has shown off a completely different look on Twitter, and we almost didn't recognise him! Rhydian, 32, has clearly been spending A LOT of time at the gym, and proudly showed off his new beefed up physique. Alongside the saucy snaps, Rhydian sent a cheeky message to a fan. He wrote: "Hey Ga! Took it off for you. Now will you stop asking me to get naked for you!?? Hope you're satisfied ." Read more about his transformation here.
6 of 15Chris Maloney
X Factor's Christopher Maloney has shocked fans after revealing he spent £60,000 on cosmetic surgery following a nervous breakdown. After coming third in the talent show back in 2012, the 37-year-old fell into a deep depression which made even getting out of bed a struggle. Since leaving the show, Christopher has undergone three hair transplants, an eye lift and two nose jobs. He has also had teeth veneers. He told The Mirror: "I feel so much happier for it." Read more about his transformation here.
7 of 15Chloe Mafia
Remember when Chloe Mafia auditioned for The X Factor in 2010? Well, it seems like rejection from the show has done her no harm, as the Wakefield lass looks unrecognisable these days. In fact, Chloe - now known as Chloe Khan - is now a MILLIONAIRE and living a life of luxury overseas. She said: "My lifestyle is pretty incredible now – it's mansions and private jets and everything else that I could only imagine when I was younger." The money allowed her to completely reinvent herself with cosmetic surgery and designer clothes - and she's confessed to a boob job or two, as well as rhinoplasty. Read more about her transformation here.
8 of 15Jahmene Douglas
The shy and retiring singer shot to fame, thanks to his modest nature and sweet-as-an-angel voice, back on The X Factor in 2012. He finished in second place, and has since gone on to find success as a singer; in fact, his second album (which features collaborations with the likes of Diane Warren) is currently in the works. But Nicole Scherzinger's protégé hasn't just been working on his music; he's also been working on his look, too. Think makeup and VERY well manicured eyebrows - we're jealous. To critics of his new look, he said simply: "Any judgement of beauty will always be an opinion." Read more about his transformation here.
9 of 15Leigh-Anne Pinnock
One of the biggest X Factor success stories, Leigh-Anne Pinnock is now 1/4 of Little Mix - but she's just as prone to a makeover as her fellow former X Factor contestants. The songstress recently went and dyed her dark locks a bright shade of blonde - and she looked incredible! Read more about her transformation here.
10 of 15Sam Bailey
The mum-of-three burst into our lives as the prison guard with a very powerful voice - and we thought she looked beautiful. But there's no denying that the X Factor winner looks absolutely phenomenal nowadays, sporting a much more polished look.
11 of 15Cher Lloyd
Cher surprised us all when she burst out into R'n'B song Turn My Swag On back in 2010 - but she's ditched her rapper style for a far more polished look nowadays. In fact, Cher looks a LOT like her X Factor mentor, Cheryl Cole, nowadays, doesn't she?
12 of 15George Shelley
George first appeared as a baby-face solo artist when he auditioned with Britney Spears's Toxic back in 2012. Now in his 20s, he looks VERY different - with many labelling the Union J as the ULTIMATE man candy. Thoughts?
13 of 15Jedward
John and Edward Grimes were the X Factor twins with BOUNDS of energy and gravity defying uairsylts. Nowadays, however, they are all grown up now and they look pretty different from their days on the hit ITV talent show. They're still making music, sure, but they're sporting a much more grown up 'do - and we kinda love it. Way to go, Jedward!
14 of 15Katie Waissel
Not only has she ditched her tired looking bleach blonde looks, Katie Waissel has gone full on mummy mode, toning down her trademark indie rocker look in favour of relaxed leisurewear and a make-up free face.
15 of 15Emma Chawner
Emma first auditioned for X Factor in 2007 to scathing responses from Simon, before getting back up on the X Factor stage with her sister, Sam, a few years later. Now she's dropped an incredible 12 stone and exclusively told Closer magazine, "I'd love Simon to see me now – he wouldn't recognize me!"
Now a source tells Closer that Simon’s girlfriend of eight years, Lauren, 43 – with whom he shares seven-year-old son Eric – has been his rock, especially after he had to undergo spinal surgery following an accident on his electric bike last year.
The source says, “Lauren’s been a huge support to Simon and it’s thanks to her that he’s in a good place. He’d already taken a step back from his heavy workload since his fall, and Lauren is encouraging him to continue with that – focusing on exercising to strengthen his back to keep him distracted.
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“She also has a strict no-phone policy for an hour each day which she’s implemented to help alleviate his stress levels. In stressful times she encourages him to increase that, which has hugely benefited him.”
Simon has spent this year between his London mansion and his LA home – and the insider says that his Californian base has done wonders for both his physical and mental health.
“His Malibu home is like a retreat where he can escape and detach himself,” says the source.
“Lauren is encouraging him to take long beach walks to help with both his back recovery and as a chance to talk through everything. She’s been great at helping him to take a step back and not let the negativity get him down or distract him from pushing forward with his next shows.”
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