Former X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan has revealed that she was sexually assaulted by a hotel porter during the production of the ITV show in 2012.
The then-20-year-old withdrew from the competition, citing illness at the time, but has now disclosed that the real reason was because she was attacked.
Spraggan, who has penned a memoir titled Process: Finding My Way Through, has waived the anonymity granted to victims of sexual offences to speak out about her ordeal.
According to Spraggan, the assault occurred after a night out in central London celebrating the 25th birthday of fellow contestant Rylan Clark.
She was escorted back to the hotel by a member of the production team when a hotel porter offered to take her to her room.
Spraggan says she woke up the following morning with a sense of dread, knowing that she had been raped.
Although the production team called the police, and an arrest was made quickly, Spraggan felt that they were "unprepared" to deal with the situation.
The singer received financial and medical support in the immediate aftermath of the crime, but she was not given any support after the trial in which her attacker was convicted.
In an interview with the Guardian, Spraggan said that she felt let down by the programme makers and received no support from them after the trial.
An ITV spokesperson praised Spraggan for her "resilience and bravery", adding that the series was produced by Thames (part of Fremantle) and Syco, owned by Simon Cowell.
They said that it was those two companies that were "primarily responsible for the duty of care towards all of its programme contributors".
A spokesperson for Fremantle said that they believed they were doing their best to support Spraggan at the time, but admitted that they could have done more.
They added that they have since learned lessons from the events and improved their aftercare processes.
Spraggan's revelation has sparked calls for better support for victims of sexual assault.
A spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said that every person involved in the production of the X Factor had a duty
Spraggan, who has penned a memoir titled Process: Finding My Way Through, has waived the anonymity granted to victims of sexual offences to speak out about her ordeal.
According to Spraggan, the assault occurred after a night out in central London celebrating the 25th birthday of fellow contestant Rylan Clark.
She was escorted back to the hotel by a member of the production team when a hotel porter offered to take her to her room.
Spraggan says she woke up the following morning with a sense of dread, knowing that she had been raped.
Although the production team called the police, and an arrest was made quickly, Spraggan felt that they were "unprepared" to deal with the situation.
The singer received financial and medical support in the immediate aftermath of the crime, but she was not given any support after the trial in which her attacker was convicted.
In an interview with the Guardian, Spraggan said that she felt let down by the programme makers and received no support from them after the trial.
An ITV spokesperson praised Spraggan for her "resilience and bravery", adding that the series was produced by Thames (part of Fremantle) and Syco, owned by Simon Cowell.
They said that it was those two companies that were "primarily responsible for the duty of care towards all of its programme contributors".
A spokesperson for Fremantle said that they believed they were doing their best to support Spraggan at the time, but admitted that they could have done more.
They added that they have since learned lessons from the events and improved their aftercare processes.
Spraggan's revelation has sparked calls for better support for victims of sexual assault.
A spokesperson for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) said that every person involved in the production of the X Factor had a duty