Matt Cardle has claimed reality TV shows "use people".
Matt Cardle
The 37-year-old star - who won ITV singing competition 'The X Factor' in 2010 - has opened up on the importance for a "duty of care to protect" contestants on TV programmes.
Appearing on FUBAR Radio's 'Access All Areas' with Bobby Norris and Stephen Leng, he said: "I think people are now starting to go, ‘Look, there's a duty of care there’.
"We all know what's happened with some of the people from 'Love Island' and things like that. There really is a duty of care to protect because those shows use people.
"It’s as simple as that, you know. Like everyone else on that show was, was being used, as was I even post the show.”
Matt acknowledged the job producers have when it comes to producing a captivating show, but he also noted the impact it has on people's lives.
He added: "It's a tricky one for them to navigate because they are just trying to make good telly. But along the way, people's hopes and dreams are going to get, you know, messed with."
Former 'Love Island' contestants Sophie Gradon and Mike Thalassitis both took their own lives in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and the host of the show, Caroline Flack, died by suicide in 2020.
Matt’s comments also come after 2011 'X Factor' hopeful Janet Devlin claimed last year that the talent show's bosses weren’t immediately concerned when she had suicidal thoughts while on the show, and fellow contestant Misha B said she contemplated taking her own life after she was accused of bullying live on TV by judges Louis Walsh and Tulisa Contostavlos.
The 'When We Collide' singer admitted he was unprepared for the "negative" side of fame.
He explained: "It's such massive exposure and you're so unprepared for it. And no-one wants to hear anything negative said about themselves.
"And when you get onto a level or a stage at that level, the hate and the vitriol that comes out of people's mouths can be brutal. And it's like, ‘No-one prepared me or anyone for that!’ ”
Matt has been open about his own mental health and battles with addiction in the past, and he wants to encourage people to speak to each other.
He said: "I've never had any shame in talking freely and openly about it, but yeah.
"I think that comes from a place of, ‘Look, if one person can hear something of what I've said and it makes a difference to their journey with it, you know, even if it's realising they’ve got a problem, you know, then that's worth doing.’ ”
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