X Factor's Rebecca Ferguson claims Carolyn McCall refused to launch probe trends now
ITV's under-fire chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall faces more questions following her refusal to investigate how the channel's reality shows treat their stars after a former X Factor contestant shared horrific experiences with her.
Rebecca Ferguson has revealed how Dame Carolyn refused to launch the probe, and fobbed her off to her deputy - despite three Love Island stars including host Caroline Flack having taken their own lives.
The singer's letter to the channel came after she spoke to numerous former stars of ITV's programmes who shared their own difficult experiences with her.
She wrote to Dame Carolyn on March 11, 2021 asking her to look into the codes of conduct and post show aftercare of programmes such as the X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and Love Island.
Ferguson, 36, also asked Dame Carolyn to investigate which management companies ITV then placed the stars with.
ITV's chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall, at the Festival of Marketing in London in 2018
Rebecca Ferguson sings on The X Factor in December 2010
However, Dame Carolyn did not reply to the Liverpool-born singer's request and instead nearly two weeks later the broadcaster's chief operating officer Sarah Clarke wrote to Ferguson to say they would not launch any kind of inquiry.
Ms Clarke insisted that they follow a duty of care charter. She did, however, apologise for any of the bad experiences that the star endured.
Ferguson has now appealed to the chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, to launch an inquiry.
Ferguson, who says she is under non-disclosure agreements after appearing on ITV, said: 'I'm bound by multiple NDA's but I cannot continue to not live in my full truth, being silent is worse I've lived through hell for years.
'March 11, 2021 I emailed the senior leadership team of ITV including Carolyn
