Legendary singer Elton John slammed ITV’s hit competition series X Factor in a scathing rant about the support emerging artists need to navigate the music industry. The Rocketman icon had previously blasted singing shows as “the worst thing that can happen to you in the music industry.”
He added to his disdain after making a recent appearance on Capital Breakfast and said that he believes X Factor pushes people into the limelight before they're completely ready. Reflecting on his and former bandmate Bernie Taupin's career, Elton stated: “Bernie and I struggled a long time before we made it. “We had four years of disappointments, near hits and a lot of near misses. But when we happened, we were ready for it. So, all those years of being disappointed gave you the backbone to be successful.”
Elton explained: “That's why I don't like X Factor shows and everything like that because people like that just aren't ready for the career. You know, they get on television, and when it comes to actually performing live, it's difficult.”
“I'd rather people did gigs and then did it that way where they are playing to twenty or thirty people. I mean Ed Sheeran playing in living rooms and James Blunt and people like that.”
In a previous interview, the 78-year-old shared how performing in front of small audiences was fundamental to his career and gave him the “backbone” to become the famed star he is today.
“And backbone is so important, because the worst thing that can happen to you in the industry are things like X Factor and instant fame on television where you have no experience of playing live,” he said to Rolling Stone.
“You get put on stage, you go, and you can't do it. That's the worst thing. American Idol - just the worst. Take risks. Go and play in a pub.”
X Factor first debuted in 2004 and went on to become a staple Saturday evening watch across the nation before airing its final episode in 2018
During its time on screens, the competition shot many celebrities to stardom, including the members of One Direction, Little Mix and JLS, as well as James Arthur, Fleur East, Stacey Solomon and Rylan Clark.
