Sam Casey: Sob story is no substitute for talent

Nov 26 2008 by Sam Casey, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

SPEAKING of trivial, Rachel Hylton became the latest contestant to get the boot from The X Factor this weekend.

Of all the entrants, she was the one who proved that this series, more than most, might more accurately have been called The Exploitation Factor.

For those of you who have better things to do with your time, Hylton was the 26-year-old reformed drug addict from north London.

Three of her five children, including one who she had when she was 13, were taken into care while she was still taking drugs.

She had spent time in prison for burglary.

But she proclaimed that she was now rebuilding her life, and X Factor was part of the journey.

It was the ultimate sob story, a tale of despair and redemption.

Simon Cowell and the show’s producers clearly saw the potential value of her turbulent past – she was asked to recite the gory details at regular intervals, and to turn on the tears for maximum impact.

In an ideal world, X Factor victory would have been Hylton’s crowning glory.

But there was one small drawback: she wasn’t actually that good.

She deserved to go, as did the numerous ‘sob story’ entrants who went before her.

Some genuinely talented contestants remain.

It’s to be hoped that they might now actually be allowed to get on with some singing.