Former X Factor star Fleur East has revealed she begged Simon Cowell to release her from his Syco record label after growing tired of battling executives over her music. The 38-year-old, who finished as a finalist on the show in 2014, said she felt 'left at the side' and found the constant studio sessions draining.
Speaking on the 'What If People Find Out?' podcast, East explained: 'I could see I was being left at the side. Going into studio sessions every single day for two years is mentally draining. Then having them go, “I just don’t think it's strong enough”. That is so, so difficult to deal with and I’d just had enough.'
East said she eventually demanded a meeting with label bosses and pleaded: 'What are you doing with me? Just let me go. I’m a big girl. This limbo, this shelving period is awful. This is worse than just letting me go, so please just do it.' She added: 'I had to really force them. Imagine begging to be let go.'
Her comments come after Cowell, 66, recently apologised for being a 'd***' to contestants on The X Factor, admitting he went 'too far' with his harsh critiques. He told The Sunday Times: 'I did realise I’ve probably gone too far. What can I say? I’m sorry. I’m not proud of it.'
Cowell has since returned to talent shows with his Netflix series 'Simon Cowell: The Next Act', where he attempts to form a new boyband in the style of One Direction.
