After years of pushing the boundaries, it seems that X Factor has at last disproved a long-held mantra and discovered such a thing as bad publicity. Casual racism, apparent homophobia, vote rigging and auto-tuning have all incensed fans in the past, but it seems that show bosses draw the line at paedophile contestants and moved quickly to deny reports that Gary Glitter was spotted skulking in the queues at this weekâs London auditions.
Given the family-centric and child-specific nature of the show, such a reaction isnât surprising, but witnesses told The Sun (who are renowned for thoroughly checking stories before committing to print) that they saw the lecherous fool in the line for auditions at the O2 arena.
“We recognised who it was immediately, despite his hat and glasses,” Jay Brown told the paper. “I Googled pictures of him on my Blackberry phone – and saw a couple of moles on his cheekbone, and a line of scarring on the right side of his face.â?
“When I tried to take his picture he kept turning away. I also recognised the gravelly voice â a sure sign of evil,â? added the whippersnapper. âHe even started singing âWhy Are We Effing Waitingâ!â?
A show spokesperson last night revealed that “production staff were being questioned and tapes looked at” but also added that they didnât believe that the contestant was in fact Gary Glitter.
