When it comes to talent-based reality television, cruelty has always done well. When Popstars sought a new band – remember Hearsay? – ‘Nasty Nigel’ became loved and loathed. His crown was stolen by Simon Cowell, whose withering putdowns became a Saturday night draw. But there is a difference between acerbically informing 45-year-old Karen from Surrey that she has no sense of pitch and accusing talented, young wannabes of bullying as part of a cynical grab for ratings. Earlier this month, former X Factor contestant Misha B shed some light on what sounds like a hurtful and damaging spell on the show, leading to an ongoing war of words, apologies and rebuttals.
It all started back in 2011, when Misha was 19, she was a frontrunner on the show. She had originality, verve, style and talent in spades. But that was all for nothing. Live on air, judges Tulisa Contostavlos and Louis Walsh alleged that she had behaved badly behind the scenes. There were accusations of bullying, overconfidence and of being ‘mean’. Her tenure on the programme tainted, she failed to reach the final.
Misha considers Louis and Tulisa’s critiques to have racial undertones. ‘My understanding is you’ve created this whole narrative of me being overconfident because I’m black’, she explains. ‘And in your eyes, black girls should not be confident. Black girls are just “one of” – “You look like a young Tina Turner, you’re like a young Chaka Khan”. Why can I not just look like me?’
Misha B claims that another contestant – she does not name them – had a part in spreading false rumours. ‘One of the girls, I think it might have been Jesy [Nelson], said, “You’ve been saying Leigh-Anne [Pinnock] has ‘evil eyes’ and you don’t think we’re gonna win and that you think we’re s*** singers’,” And I was like, wow, first of all, let’s get this clear, I have no energy to be focusing on anybody else when I have so much at stake here. It is not in my character to want to tear another sister down.’ Misha claims that she sensed ‘coldness’ from those on set following the incident, and feels that she was assigned an 'angry black girl narrative.'
Misha revealed that she was diagnosed with PTSD, and says that she has been profoundly changed by the experience, by the aggressions and cruelty that she faced. She says she has been healing, and is still in therapy.
Following Misha's claims, Tulisa posted a video on Instagram on Monday. 'I have witnessed black people being torn down in the industry, especially black women,' she captioned the video. 'It is a very real and serious issue. But my issue at that time was a response to actions and was in no way shape or form about race. I have never and will never take part in any oppressive or racist agenda.'
In the video, the former X Factor judge says: 'I'm not taking away from how Misha feels, I accept that she is entitled to her opinion and I'm sorry if she feels that the situation was racially motivated. I can only speak from my side of the situation which is that it 100 per cent was not. One thing I regret was calling her out publicly the way that I did. If I was the person that I am today, who is more emotionally intelligent and has more life experience, I would have handled it in a very different way and for that, I am truly sorry and I deeply regret. But to say and make claims - and I'm not saying she's doing that, but people are online - that it was racially motivated - is ludicrous.'
Louis is yet to make a statement, but producers are known to have contributed to the depiction of Misha as a bully. Gary Barlow has recalled an incident his his 2018 autobiography. ‘About half an hour before the show goes live, the producers would come in and they’d go, "Oh my God. That Misha. She’s a bully. Can’t believe it. She is such a bully. In fact, you know what? You should say it. You should say it on air. She’s bullied everyone all week".'
Tulisa's statement was not well received, and she has now released a second one. ‘I fully acknowledge the pain I caused and fully accept people should be angry about it', she wrote on Instagram. 'I can state again there was nothing racial in my thought process. ‘When I referred to Misha as being feisty and competitive that was a reflection of myself because I saw myself in Misha. ‘We are both very strong women and when I communicate with people I always jump to what I have in common to find a basis to connect.'
Misha has already appeared to respond on Twitter, particularly focusing on Tulisa's previous point that she had grown up in the black community.
The conversations around black women in reality television continue. Fingers crossed for a Misha B renaissance soon.
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