The Susan Boyle Lesson: X Factor to Include Psychological Testing

The last season of the popular British talent competition Britain’s Got Talent was marred by controversy, especially towards the end, what with main favorite Susan Boyle breaking down and needing medical assistance after the series finale and many other contestants being unable to control their emotions in front of the camera. Because of this, and mostly due to the media backlash that ensued, the producers of the X Factor have decided to include psychological testing as a prerequisite for entering the competition, as The Telegraph can confirm.

Although there were always specialized staff present on the set in case of an emergency, past experiences, especially with Susan Boyle’s case, who was clearly not prepared for the kind of exposure she got, have demonstrated that it was not enough. Because of this, starting this Saturday, all contestants on X Factor will have to be assessed before walking in front of a live audience and the millions of viewers at home for their shot at fame. The most important part of this is that this will also allow contestants to grasp the bigger picture and learn of all that potential fame entails, and thus not start off with an idealized notion of it.

“We have always had doctors and psychologists and psychiatrists on call if people needed professional help, but what we have done this year, because the show keeps getting bigger and there is more focus on it, is we have looked at our policies quite carefully and decided that we should have people with us all the way through, particularly with the pressure of audiences at the auditions.” Richard Holloway, the executive producer of The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent, tells the media.

The Susan Boyle lesson has been learned and never again is the situation to repeat itself. “What we learned from the Susan Boyle situation was that she had very little pressure from the show, as she only performed three times, but that the pressure came from the huge interest in her. It was dealing with all of that which made it something we had to focus on. Once that huge amount of interest was there, it was so overpowering. For us, it is not just a question of care, it is a question of protection.” Holloway further explains.

As fans must already know, Susan Boyle, the extremely talented “Angel” that took the entire world by surprise, was overwhelmed by the sudden and, to some extent, violent interest in her, to the point that she needed to take some R&R once the show ended. ITV and Britain’s Got Talent producers were repeatedly accused of exploiting Boyle and other contestants, in that they failed to pay attention to the signs of a meltdown.