Graham Norton accuses X Factor of being “cruel” to its contestants

You want some BBC vs ITV singing competition beef? Graham Norton's here to serve you up a slice.

The host of Let It Shine, the BBC's new talent show in which contestants compete for a place in Take That musical The Band, went in on ITV's long-running show The X Factor, branding it "cruel". Speaking to the Radio Times, Norton also criticised the calibre of the competitors on the show, saying: "There are no Honey Gs in Let It Shine, the contestants are properly talented."

"I think the cruellest thing about some of these shows is when the contestants are promised something that’s never going to happen," Norton said. “We’re not saying to these people that they’re going to have gold records and live in a Beverly Hills mansion. We’re saying you’re going to be on a bus, what we’re telling them is real.”

 

Photo: ITV

  Honey G was the source of some controversy during the last X Factor, with some fans finding her harmless and fun to watch, while others were angered that people with 'real talent' were being denied a shot. Norton hasn't shied away from criticising The X Factor in the past. Speaking to the Radio Times (again) in 2015, the host said: "The people aren’t very good, so to all the judges’ comments of ‘I’d buy your album tomorrow’ you think, ‘You’re never having an album’. You wouldn’t throw 50p at them if they were busking in the tube. I think it’s lost its credibility.” Let It Shine and The X Factor are going head-to-head in the ratings war, with more viewers currently tuning in to watch Let It Shine, which as we all know is an infallible measure of quality. Catch up with this week's episode of 888sport Football Friday Live