Former X Factor contestant Niki Evans has criticised current contestants John and Edward Grimes and also lashed out at Louis Walsh for letting them on the show.

She told PA: “I don’t think Louis should have put them through because they knew what was coming. He knew that they’d get all this pressure and these things because they’re just not right.

“They’re the Cheeky Boys aren’t they? They are, that’s what they are. And they’ll probably go on to make some really awful cheesy pop song and that’s it and they’ll go to Butlins. They will have a big following because they are probably the worst act that’s ever been on The X Factor.”

Former X Factor contestant Niki Evans has claimed that acts mentored by Simon Cowell, have an unfair advantage on the show.

Evans told The Sun: “Simon holds the reigns on everything. If Simon said the grass is purple everyone would say, ‘oh yeah, its purple’. A lot of the show is about the judges and it’s about the pantomime. You can be doomed if you don’t have the right one.”

Niki says that it is hard for contestants after the show ends, especially because of Britain’s Got Talent stars. She added:

“There’s not a lot of work out there. The market is being flooded, not just from X Factor but from Britain’s Got Talent.

“When you’re out of The X Factor you’re out on your own. You have to have a talent. You’re competing against the new ones that are coming up and the old ones that have been.”

It sounds to me like Niki is suffering from a serious case of sour grapes here. Just last month, she was claiming that the X Factor is ageist and older acts have no chance of success. Now she is claiming that this year’s older category have an unfair advantage because of their mentor. Make up you mind please Evans.

Former X Factor contestant Niki Evans, has blasted the ITV show for being ageist and said that an over 25 year old woman will never win it.

Niki came fourth in the 2007 series and was unlucky enough to be mentored by Louis Walsh.

Niki told The Mirror: “I will eat my hat if an over-25 woman ever wins The X Factor.”

She added: “Age is a horrible, horrible thing to have to go through. But I was very lucky, touch wood. There’s only a couple of us who got to fourth (position) – of my age group, women.

“I’d be very surprised if an over-25 woman ever won it. It’s not just ageist – it’s sexist as well because you get the little cute boys, and since the four age groups have come in, because it’s over-25s, it’s groups – under-25 boys and under-25 girls. Since that it’s got much much worse because you’re getting twice the amount of young people coming through.”

Niki also believes that the new style auditions make trying out for the show easier and less scary.

She said: “It’s a lot easier now isn’t it? You get backing tracks, you get a big audience so I don’t think it’s as scary as walking into one room with four people staring at you with no music so I think it’s a lot easier these days.”

Niki’s new single, I Feel Love, a cover of Donna Summer’s 1977 hit is out on September 21.

Former X Factor contestant Niki Evans is releasing a cover of Donna Summer’s hit ‘I Feel Love’.

Evans will release the track on iTunes on September 21, with a follow up album planned for later in the year.

Niki reached the semi-final of the 2007 series of X Factor and is currently appearing in the musical Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre.

It would seem that Susan Boyle hasn’t been the only casualty of reality TV Simon Cowell style. In a revealing interview with the Daily Mail former X Factor star Niki Evans has told of how she felt exploited by the producers of the show.

Niki’s dad died shortly before she auditioned for the show, a fact which she feels the producers played a lot on.

‘They spent three hours literally shouting at me to sing Dance With My Father Again live on the show, with the instruction to cry in the middle of it,’ Niki said.

‘I was in floods of tears, saying: “You can’t make me do this. It’s sick.” I would have completely broken down on live television, in front of millions of people, if I’d sung it – but that was what they wanted.

‘At the end of the day, it’s all about making money, encouraging the public to vote. It isn’t about talent or the people taking part. I don’t think Simon knows half of what is going on, even though it is his show.’

‘One time I refused to say on camera that I was desperate to win,’ she added. ‘The producer shouted at me: “Well, f***ing pack your bags then and get out.”

‘It was intimidation of the worst kind, and I think people ought to know what goes on behind the closed doors.

‘The aim is to make your story as emotional and tear-jerking as possible, and with me they would spend up to two or three hours trying to make me cry. There was an agenda every week, and they knew what they wanted you to say – it is all manipulated.

‘They even took me back to see my father’s grave, and I was just in pieces. I was so overcome I couldn’t breathe, but they got the film they wanted. I used to shout back “I’m not crying today, don’t make me”, but they would keep on at me.

‘Sometimes when I came off after singing, they would say: “Don’t you think you’ve let your father down?” They knew just which emotional buttons to press.’

Niki also spoke at the complete abandonment she felt when she was voted off the show.

‘The morning after the show, at 9am, I left the house which the competitors shared and that was it,’ she explained. ‘There’s a guaranteed record contract for the winner, but for everyone else you are just booted out and forgotten.

‘Thanks to the support of others, I am going on tour in October and I have a new album out. I have survived, but The X Factor nearly broke me.’

The big question here is why didn’t Niki pack her bags and leave? She is not a child but an adult and a mother. She could have set an example and walked from the show, her doing this may have made producers think twice before treating someone in this manner again.

Former X Factor contestant, Niki Evans has criticised the makers of the show for the way that they make potential winners speak out about private tragedies in a bid to gain viewers sympathy.

Niki was seen crying during last years series about the recent death of her father, but she claims that it was an issue she never wanted to talk about on camera.

“I didn’t want to speak about it but it was brought up time after time,” Niki told the Sunday Mercury. “I actually hadn’t told anyone about how I came to audition. But my mum had let it slip that I found the X Factor application form in my dad’s stuff. So when Simon [Cowell] brought it up in the audition, I was genuinely shocked.

“He tried to get me to talk about it, but I refused and told him he had to hear me sing first.”

Evans then revealed that Louis Walsh had predictably been willing to go to any lengths to make one of his team a winner saying:

“Louis, my mentor, had told me to sing Luther Vandross’s ‘Dance With My Father’ and then cry afterwards,” she explained. “But I told him there was no way I was going to do that – not with my mum sitting in front of me. It would have been really hurtful. And it just looked like I was grabbing onto it and using this tragedy to further my career.

“I was really adamant that I wouldn’t do it, and in the end I got my way and performed ‘Songbird’. I was voted off the show that night – but I don’t regret not performing ‘Dance With My Father’.”

X Factor contestant Niki Evans has quit her job as a dinner lady in Polesworth International School.

Niki had asked the school to hold open her job while she competed in the TV show, however she has now made the decision not to return to her old profession.

“I loved my job. The school was brilliant in keeping my job open for so long,” Niki told the Daily Star. “I’ll miss the kids and staff.”

Suicide pacts are obviously becoming all the rage. Just a few weeks ago, X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne revealed that she and husband Ozzy had made a pact that if one of them was struck down by a mentally debilitating disease, they would take themselves off and committ suicide.

Now X Factor reject, Niki Evans has revealed that she and husband Darren have reached the same decision. If one of the pair dies first, the other will committ suicide so they don’t have to be seperated.

Given the fact that Niki and Darren have two young sons, this decision seems kind of selfish to me. The children have already lost two granfathers, a grandmother and an uncle in the last few years, I couldn’t imagine they would want to lose their parents too.

Niki Evans has just narrowly missed out on a place in the X Factor final as she was booted off the show tonight.

Niki was visibly gutted and has stated many times tonight that she believes the X Factor is her last chance. It was sad to see her go.

However, I am thrilled that Rhydian Roberts and Same Difference are through to the final. Not so thrilled about Leon, and if he wins this years show I will be furious. Wouldn’t it be cool if all the phone lines in Scotland went down on saturday night. If that happened I think Leon would be lucky to get two votes.

Come on people. There must be some sympathetic BT worker out there who could help us out….

X Factor finalist Niki Evans has dropped so much in my estimation this week.

First she declares her intent to go straight under the knife if she wins the ITV show, and now she has defended Louis Walsh’s cruel comments to fellow X Factor judge Dannii Minogue last week.

When Dannii remarked that Niki had been out of tune the week before, Louis starting attacking her about the quality of her musical releases in the past.

In a press conference with the four X Factor finalists this week Rhydian Roberts spoek of the incident saying: “She [Dannii] was genuinely upset – the words that he used were quite strong.”

“Good, I’m glad, good,” Niki cut in, adding: “I’m glad he said it to her.”

Now in fairness to Louis, Dannii Minogue’s pop record has been littered with flop after flop, and some of what he said wasn’t too far from the truth. However, the way in which he treated her bordered on bullying in my eyes, he would never dare to attack Simon or Sharon so nastily, as he couldn’t handle their response!

I am very disappointed that Niki publicly supported Louis’ mean heartedness (is that even a word?), Louis is a grumpy and bitter old man, Niki wants to be careful she doesn’t end up tarred with the same brush.