Almost a year after being responsible for pushing Honey G upon the nation, Sharon Osbourne has said that she’s done with novelty acts on the new series of ‘The X Factor’.
Sharon mentored controversial novelty rapper Honey G during last year’s series, choosing her as one of three acts to make it through to the live shows, where she eventually finished in fifth place.
However, after a huge backlash from followers of the show, Sharon has said she’s feeling much “tougher” when it comes to novelty acts, mainly to protect her own reputation as an industry expert.
She said: “It’s everyone’s reputation on the line when you are sat there.
“When you’re backing someone, like backing a three legged horse, it’s your reputation up there too at the end of the day.
“I’ve done my fair share of extreme characters, I just can’t do it again.”
Despite not even making it through to last year’s semi-final, Honey G was given the opportunity to perform as a guest during the grand finale, and even signed a record contract with Simon Cowell.
Her track, ‘The Honey G Show’, failed to crack the top 100, though, and she was then dropped by Syco after just one single.
Honey G’s time on ‘The X Factor’ was controversial not just because of the public’s perception of her as a novelty act, but also accusations of cultural appropriation - a suggestion which she brushed off on a number of occasions, even implying at one point that she was being discriminated against as a white woman with aspirations of becoming a big rapper.
‘The X Factor’ returns to our screens on Saturday (2 September) at 8pm on ITV.