Simon Cowell is once again under intense scrutiny after a former winner of The X Factor accused the music mogul of humiliating contestants and failing in his duty of care – claims that have reignited a long-running debate about the human cost of televised talent shows.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the latest criticism comes from Matt Terry, 32, who won the ITV competition in Britain in 2016 and has spoken publicly about the psychological fallout of his victory.
Cowell defended the show’s legacy on a recent podcast.
Terry’s comments followed remarks Cowell made on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast while promoting his Netflix docuseries Simon Cowell: The Next Act, in which he suggested most contestants achieved what they wanted from the show: fame and money.
But the frank exchange has reopened questions about accountability, mental health safeguards, and the power imbalance between aspiring performers and the industry figures who shape their careers.
In a three-minute video posted online, Terry responded directly to Cowell’s comments.
He said: “Simon Cowell has basically done The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, and I just saw a clip where he says that people that have been on this show have it in for him because it didn’t quite work out for them, and that we got what we wanted, which was fame and money.”
Terry rejected that framing, saying: “I went on X Factor because I was a very young person with a dream, and I just wanted to sing and be an artist.”
Leading Contestants to ‘The Wolves’
Matt Terry accused Cowell of humiliating vulnerable contestants.
The singer added the experience left lasting damage. “Another side of that is that it changed the way I view myself,” he said.
“When I didn’t become, let’s say, a big global superstar, then all of a sudden, everyone called me a failure. And I believed them.”
He added he would “go to bed at night, wishing that I wouldn’t wake up,” describing a period that later led him to undertake two years of therapy.
Terry also accused the show of knowingly setting some contestants up for ridicule.
He said: “(Cowell has) taken people off the street that they know can’t sing, for example, and said, ‘You’re brilliant, why don’t you come on X Factor?’ and fed them to the wolves.”
Terry also argued Cowell should “take accountability” for an era when mental health was not adequately considered.
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The ‘X Factor’ winner slammed Cowell for failing his duty of care.
‘They Got What They Wanted’
Cowell claimed most contestants achieved their goals of fame and money.
Cowell, speaking on the podcast with host Marina Hyde, defended the format.
He said: “I’ve always gone with about half a percent, if you’re lucky, the people you see are going to be good.”
On duty of care, he added: “I did everything I possibly could, but not everything worked out the way we wanted to.”
Cowell continued: “The vast majority of people who came on the show, they made a lot of money and got what they wanted, which was fame.”
“Certain people they’ve just got it in for me, and there’s nothing I can do about that,” the music mogul claimed.
Sources now said Cowell feels increasingly “boxed in” by criticism.
One insider added he believes he is being judged by standards that barely existed when the show launched in 2004.
Stars Recall ‘Systematic Bullying’
Rebecca Ferguson highlighted ‘systematic bullying’ within the music industry.
Another said renewed backlash may have left him frustrated, as former contestants are now reassessing their experiences through a modern mental health lens.
Created by Cowell, The X Factor helped launch acts including Little Mix, Olly Murs, and Alexandra Burke, but was also accused of manufacturing humiliation for entertainment.
The series peaked at 18 million viewers before being placed on hiatus in 2018. Other former contestants have echoed Terry’s concerns.
Cher Lloyd, 32, said she was “sold a dream” when she appeared on X Factor aged 17, while Rebecca Ferguson, 42, has spoken of “systematic misogyny and bullying” in the industry.
A spokesperson for X Factor previously said: “We take the welfare of everyone involved in our shows extremely seriously,” stressing robust support measures were in place during Terry’s season.
