Former X Factor star Katie Waissel has hit out at Simon Cowell after he defended himself in a recent interview over the death of Liam Payne.
Waissel, who was on the same series as Payne and One Direction in 2010, has accused the music mogul, 66, of presenting a ‘distorted and incomplete account of the reality experienced by many’ contestants on The X Factor during his recent interview.
Cowell’s team do not accept the criticisms directed at him.
In recent years the treatment of young contestants on The X Factor has come under the microscope, with former stars of the show alleging their experiences were exploitative and damaging.
Waissel wrote in the wake of Payne’s death: ‘If Simon Cowell dare put a statement out on the heart wrenching, tragic loss of my dear and darling friend Liam, he would be a fool…
She accused the show of ‘failure to prioritise the emotional and physical welfare’ of artists and concerned with ‘profits rather than the people’.
In 2021, Waissel revealed that she sought therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after suffering panic attacks and suicidal thoughts in the wake of the series.
In the recent interview Cowell opened up about Payne’s death, defending himself against these criticisms over his part in the One Direction star’s formative years after launching him to fame on The X Factor.
Payne, who died in October 2024 after falling from the balcony of a Buenos Aires hotel while under the influence of drugs, first found fame at the age of 16 on the singing show.
He originally auditioned in 2008 but was told by Cowell it was not his time, and he should return in a few years, which he did in 2010.
In the interview, referenced by Waissel, Cowell defended himself against criticisms from former X Factor stars and fans of Payne who believe the music mogul wronged those who appeared on the show.
‘I don’t read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself,’ Cowell told the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast when asked whether it was ‘hurtful’ when people landed on him as someone to blame for Payne’s death.
‘The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody’s life, 10 years after you’ve signed someone? You can’t do that,’ Cowell explained.
Now Waissel has taken to social media with a lengthy and critical statement against Cowell.
‘While he expresses personal sadness and regret, his statements present a distorted and incomplete account of the reality experienced by many of us who were held via contract under his structures,’ she said in an X post.
Waissel continued: ‘It is important, ethically, legally, and journalistically — that a fuller picture is acknowledged.
‘When Liam passed away, the entire world saw my public reaction. It was not a reaction to fame, or grief alone, or the pressures of the music industry in general; it was a reaction rooted in first-hand experience of the duty-of-care failures, coercive pressures, and systemic harms that were present during our time under Cowell’s management umbrella.
‘In 2010 none of us were in a position to speak out. We were young, isolated, tightly contracted, bound by NDAs, and operating in what can only be described as survival mode. The power imbalance was absolute. The conditions were psychologically suffocating.
‘We lacked the language, the support, and the legal understanding to identify, let alone challenge, what we now know.
‘For Cowell to publicly present himself today as reflective, concerned, and wounded — while omitting the systemic pressures, relentless work schedules, emotional manipulation, public shaming structures, and unregulated high-stress environments that defined our experiences — is not merely selective storytelling.
‘It is an erasure of the very conditions that contributed to the mental health struggles of multiple artists, including Liam, myself, and many others.’
Nodding to Cowell’s reflection in the Rolling Stone interview, in which he asks of Payne, ‘Could I have done anything more?’ Waissel said: ‘This question only holds weight when paired with genuine acknowledgement of what was done — or not done — at the time.
‘What happened to us was structural, patterned, and deeply harmful. To suggest otherwise is to reframe tragedy as unexpected, when in truth many of us were shouting — privately, then publicly — about the same mechanisms of harm long before the world lost Liam.’
In the interview, Cowell also remembered seeing Payne a year before his death and telling him that ‘music isn’t everything’ and to live how he wants.
‘A sentiment that would have been meaningful had the environment he controlled not been one where music, ratings, public humiliation, and pressure were weaponised in ways that eroded our mental health,’ Waissel said of his anecdote.
She continued: ‘During our contracted years, none of us were ever given the space to “find something else.” We were given one option: obey, perform, survive.
‘To invoke hindsight wisdom now — without acknowledging the realities we were subjected to — further entrenches the myth that these tragedies occurred in a vacuum rather than within systems he built, profited from, and continues to control.’
She concluded: ‘This is not about blame for the sake of blame. This is about accuracy, responsibility, and the urgent need for accountability and safeguarding reform in an industry that continues to reshape itself publicly while leaving its internal harms untouched.
‘If Cowell wishes to have public conversations about loss, duty, and the “what ifs,” then it is vital those conversations include the full truth, not the curated fragments currently being offered.’
Reflecting on how he felt on hearing about Payne’s death, Cowell said in the interview: ‘When I heard the news, it really hit me. I saw him a year before this happened. He came over to my house. We talked about his son and being a dad.
‘I remember saying, “Music is not everything. Don’t let it run your life anymore. Find something else that you are passionate about.” You ask yourself that question: “Could I have done anything more? What would’ve happened to Liam if he hadn’t been in the band?”
‘Having spoken to his mom and dad recently, all they kept telling me was he was so proud of what he had achieved. I wish I could turn back the clock, of course. When I spoke to him that day, I felt really good about him. I thought, “Wow, you seem in a really good place.”’
After auditioning for The X Factor solo, teenagers Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Zayn Malik were put together as a group by judges including Cowell, and formed the world famous band responsible for hits including That’s What Makes You Beautiful and Story of My Life.
The series was produced by Simon Cowell’s production company Syco and Freemantle TV and broadcast on ITV.
After One Direction finished in third place, Cowell signed the group to his Syco Entertainment record label, releasing their debut album in 2011 and becoming globally loved.
Although Simon had a huge role in launching One Direction, Payne chose not to sign with him for his solo career.
Payne explained he was ‘grateful’ for Simon’s guidance, adding to The Sun: ‘There was never even a deal that crossed the table from [Simon], so it wasn’t even like it was ever open for business in my head.
‘But then all of a sudden he was very upset and scorned by what had happened but I just had to separate myself properly.
‘I really wanted to get away from everything that I did.’
Former X Factor contestants have long spoke out about their negative experiences on the show, before and in the wake of Payne’s death.
Rebecca Ferguson, who was in the same series as One Direction, accused the show of ‘exploitation and profiteering’ off young stars, writing that Payne would be alive today had he not auditioned.
Cher Lloyd, who appeared in the 2010 series, has made reference to being ‘exploited’ after leaving SyCo in 2016.
In a tirade on Twitter, Jedward slammed Simon and his alleged treatment of former X Factor stars.
Steve Brookstein, the first ever winner of The X Factor, has often spoken out against Simon and the show, even writing a book about the whole affair, with the official synopsis reading: ‘It was the stuff dreams were made of. It became the ultimate nightmare.’
Simon later hit back at Steve, and is quoted as saying: ‘He was horrible, ungrateful and totally selfish. He just wouldn’t listen.’
Meanwhile former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, who left the series in 2007, wrote after Payne’s death: ‘Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.’
After Payne’s death, Cowell took to social media with a heartbroken statement.
‘You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,’ Cowell wrote.
‘Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.
‘This is so difficult to put into words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like?
‘And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.
‘I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.
‘You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eye that you have.
‘And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.
‘I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And regarding their messages today I believe you were.
‘And now Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon.
‘Rest in peace, my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family.’
He concluded: ‘Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty.’
Shortly after it was shared on social media, the post was removed. It was then shared once again, this time the comments feature was turned off.
In an interview with Diary of a CEO in June 2024, Simon said he regretted not having ‘owned the name’ One Direction, explaining that as the former bandmates all own it, they can stop others from touring under its banner.
‘If one of the band members, for whatever reason, say they don’t want to tour, it can stop the others [from] touring,’ he explained. ‘So, if it was me who owned the name, it wouldn’t be a problem.’
Reflecting on his legacy, Cowell said: ‘I’d like to be remembered as somebody who’s always worked hard. I do believe that I’ve been nice to everyone I’ve met.
‘I’ve met a lot of people who are nice on camera [but] are absolute monsters off camera. I am the same person on and off camera.’
A version of this story was originally published on November 25.
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