‘X Factor’ judge Simon Cowell (65) is being criticised after the death of Liam Payne. According to a former contestant, the discoverer of One Direction, like all records, “cares more about profit than people”.
Simon Cowell was on the judging panel of The X Factor when Liam Payne and the other One Direction members competed in 2010. He put them together and signed the popular boy band to his record label. In the same year as Payne and co., singer Katie Waissel also tried her luck on The X Factor. She is now pointing the finger at Cowell.
“Liam’s death breaks my heart. If Cowell dares to say anything about such a tragic loss, he is a fool. We all know the truth,” Waissel writes on X. “Liam’s passing is a painful reminder of how the music industry neglects people. Those in charge who are supposed to support young artists are more concerned with profit than people. They see talent as a commodity. And that has led to yet another heartbreaking loss. It is a shame that the well-being of artists is a priority. A record deal also comes with a legal and moral obligation to take care of each other.”
Waissel also refers to a recent interview in which Cowell said his “biggest regret” is not owning the rights to the One Direction band name. A second former contestant, Rebecca Ferguson, joins in the criticism of Cowell and his colleagues. “I’ve been saying for years how young stars are being taken advantage of. Many of us suffer from post-traumatic stress because of it. Liam is the victim of that now.”
Cowell has not yet responded to Liam Payne’s death, but he stopped filming Britain’s Got Talent. He is reportedly distraught and currently feels unable to make good television.