Former X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan has disclosed that she was raped by a hotel porter during the production of the ITV show in 2012. In her new memoir, Process: Finding My Way Through, she details the lasting impact of the assault and expresses feeling let down by ITV.
The incident occurred after a night celebrating fellow contestant Rylan Clark's 25th birthday at the Mayfair nightclub Mahiki, attended by X Factor crew. Spraggan said she passed out and was escorted back to the hotel by a production team member, where a porter offered to help her to her room. The porter flipped the security latch on her door to prevent it locking. Later, Clark checked on her and locked the door, but the porter returned using a traceable keycard to attack her.
Spraggan said she woke up with a sense of dread and went into autopilot. Although the production team called the police and an arrest was made, she believed they were unprepared to handle the situation. She received financial and medical support immediately after but none after the trial. 'No one ever contacted me to ask if I was OK,' she wrote.
Spraggan, then a 20-year-old musician, was the first contestant to perform her own songs on X Factor. She left the competition after three live shows, apparently due to illness, but now reveals it was due to side effects from HIV prevention medication taken after the assault. She said she was advised not to disclose the reason but has now decided to tell the truth to rebuild herself.
A spokesperson for Fremantle, the show's producers, apologised and said they have improved aftercare processes. ITV stated that the production companies were responsible for duty of care. Simon Cowell called the incident 'horrific and heartbreaking' and expressed support for Spraggan.
