14 DAY TRIAL // X Factor producers have beefed up security and alerted the police after death threats / hate comments have started to surface online about contestant Katie Waissel, who has survived another elimination over the weekend.
Waissel has been dubbed the “most unpopular X Factor contestant ever” by the British media but she seems to have enough fans to vote for her and keep her on the show, judging by how many times she escaped elimination.
Katie also has plenty of haters – and some of them are even taking things so far as to say they should just go out and kill her, the Daily Mail reports.
The aspiring singer is reportedly “freaked out” by the show of hatred, while X Factor producers are adamant they will not condone this type of cyber-bullying. A police investigation is already underway.
“Social networking sites including Twitter and Facebook are awash with sinister messages following Sunday’s results show,” the Mail says. By public vote, Katie won the right to stay on the show for another week.
“X Factor bosses say they have now contacted police over the vile internet messages, which have left the contestant ‘disgusted and freaked out’,” the same publication notes.
Among the most troubling messages posted on Twitter about Katie are: “Who’s coming on a murder hunt with me? Target Katie Waissel,” “Katie DIE DIE!,” and “Katie deserves to die right at this minute.”
The aforementioned tab also reports that, right now, there are at least 40 anti-Katie groups on Facebook, either ridiculing her or campaigning to have her axed from the show. And their members are in the thousands.
“These threats are disgusting and outrageous. This is cyber bullying and we will not put up with it. We are doing what we can to stop it and are contacting police,” a spokesperson for the show says for the Mail.
At the same time, it is believed security around the contestant has been upped to prevent anything from occurring when she steps out in public. The other day, for instance, a fan threw a banana peel at Katie, which quite scared her.