I suppose you’ve heard about Cheryl’s performance on The X Factor last night?
About how it apparently went down terribly? To a point where it secured enough complaints to warrant an Ofcom investigation?
Yup, the artist formerly known as Tweedy (and then Cole) has faced accusations of raunchy behaviour as she made a return to the ITV show she once judged on.
Performing her new single Love Made Me Do It, Cheryl – cover your eyes kids – licked her hand at one point, prompting some viewers to go, ‘Oh my GOD! What the HELL is this?’
Well, I don’t know whether or not people said that. It’s a hunch. What I do know is they went to Ofcom and complained about the pre-watershed slice of telly.
MailOnline reports 15 complaints were made against the 35-year-old.
A spokesman for the watchdog said:
We are assessing these complaints against our broadcasting rules before deciding whether or not to investigate.
She has since replied via iPhone note message, which is a celeb’s wont.
Cheryl wrote:
Having spent 16 years in the public eye I have always been accepting of people’s opinions. Me personally, my music and performances are never goin to be for everyone. And that’s OK.
I let a lot of things lie but the sheer level of unbalanced negativity towards me in the tabloid press these past few days has been quite frankly shocking and I need to address it.
This level of relentless abuse should not be tolerated in any walk of life. From my appearance, my body size and shape to my performance and even dragging innocent people into this like they did to nile Rodgers simply for a clickbait headline is totally uncalled for. It also gives the trolls a bigger voice and platform.
She added:
What’s even more surprising to me is that some of these people are the first to write that we should be more socially aware and conscious of online bullying and mental health awareness. Is this any different?
So thank you all again for being strong minded enough to not be influenced by the negativity…
PS… I did watch my performance back and I LOVED IT!
It’s certainly been a topsy turvy relationship between Cheryl and The X Factor. In 2010 Simon Cowell made her a judge on the US version of the show but she left after only three weeks.
He said her departure was to allow her to return to work on the next UK season of the show but word on the street was she got sacked because US audiences couldn’t understand her strong Geordie accent.
This led to a pretty big falling out with Simon Cowell after which Cheryl ended up receiving a handsome financial settlement. She made up with Simon Cowell in 2014 and returned to film the 11th series of The X Factor before quitting again in mid 2016.
She appeared on The X Factor again in 2017 helping Simon at his French villa in the Judges’ Houses round of the show. Bit more relaxed than Sunday night’s (November 18) ‘risqué’ performance.
Regardless, she ain’t to be sneezed at. Cheryl has had five UK number one singles, including her first single Fight for This Love and her later songs Promise This, Call My Name, Crazy Stupid Love and I Don’t Care. Her first two album 3 Words (2009) and Messy Little Raindrops (2010) also reached number one in the UK album charts.
She first found fame after bagging a place in pop band Girls Aloud when it was formed on the ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals. The band split in 2013 on the last night of their Ten: The Hits Tour, citing exhaustion after 10 years hard work.
In addition to the awards Cheryl’s won as part of Girls Aloud, she has won awards for her solo work and for her style. In 2009 and 2010 she was named FHM’s sexiest woman. She has also won awards for Best Dressed Woman from Glamour and Elle magazines and a BT Digital Music Award for Best Female Artist in 2010.
Keep doing you, pet.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via stories@unilad.co.uk
