‘I was on the X Factor – nothing was real and the judges were actors’

The X Factor has been a staple of British television since it launched in 2004, and now a former contestant has spoken out on what really goes on behind the scenes of the show

The X Factor has been on our screens for many years, showcasing fresh talent every year. For many Brits, it’s a yearly tradition – that one show we can all get behind when it returns. But one former contestant has now broken his silence, and what he says about the show might just make you see it in a different way.

Wagner, who became a wildcard favourite back in 2010, didn’t quite make the final – but he still managed to leave his mark until he was booted out of the quarter final. That season saw Matt Cardle crowned as the winner and One Direction launching into stardom.

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More than a decade on, Wagner has come forward with bold claims about what really went on behind the scenes and according to him, it wasn’t the mentors calling the shots – it was all in the hand of the producers.

“’The judges are actors’, he claimed. ‘It was a reality TV show but nothing is real… Everything is planned in advance and my contact with Louis was just for cameras.” He also went on to reveal his vocal coach felt more of a mentor than his mentor Louis.

During his time on the show, critics launched an internet campaign for him to win the show, just as a way to ‘p*ss off Simon’. But his journey came to an end, when he was voted out in sixth place after a sing off with Mary Byrne.

He went on to say that his vocal coach felt more like a mentor than Louis Walsh and he’s not even convinced the judges even picked the songs. “I’m sure the producers would pick the songs for us,” he said

And the critique is allegedly just as scripted. Wagner claimed producers would ask the vocal coaches for feedback and then hand it over to the judges to deliver on air.

“They would look at the camera, but every now and then they would look away and read the script. Some would look more than others!” he said

He also suggested the panel – once made up of Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh – slowly changed into “anyone can be a judge”.

“The script was to make sure the entertainment would keep going because they couldn’t rely on the judges to be witty or quick thinking.”

At the time, Simon claimed an the attempt to derail the show had failed. “There were people out there trying to derail this show, we’ve put this show back in the hands of the public.”

But Wagner says otherwise “It’s not democracy, it’s showbusiness”, he said. “They knew that they wanted to promote One Direction and everybody else were just extras in the play.”

He claimed that on the day he was sent home, a merchandising staff member told him he’d sold out of his official merchandise and had been leading the vote; however there is no suggestion the votes were rigged.

Wagner also revealed that Louis faked interactions between the pair. In every episode, Louis kept mispronouncing his name, saying it like Wag-nah rather than the correct Vawg-ner.

“It was a joke that Louis agreed with me!” Wagner explained. “He said ‘I’m gonna call you Wagner all the time and you’re gonna say Louis, my name is Vawg-ner'”. He said: “That was fun and it was Louis’ idea. It was smart.”

However despite his claims, it is clear The X Factor helped to launch household names like Little Mix, Olly Murs and Alexandra Burke. But over the years, stories emerged about the show’s darker side – with some former stars alleging scenes were staged to boost ratings.

Despite missing out on the top spot, Wagner made the most of his fame – raking in cash from personalised video messages for fans. “From the videos I would get £100,000 a year”, he said.

But when the money started to dry up, he switched careers – trying his hand at running a hair transplant in Brazil. It wasn’t for him, and he eventually returned to the UK to launch his band – Kings with Wings: The Wagner Rock Band – a name inspired by his love of birdwatching.

“I got lots of bookings”, he said, “but I felt so awkward singing She Bangs, because my God, that is a stupid song but people love it.”

Now, Wagner is writing his own setlist performing great songs by legends like The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Marley.