Amanda Roberts has claimed that she knew Ceri Rees would be made a fool of if she was featured on is year and asked producers of the show not to allow her to audition for the judges.

Ceri, 54, auditioned for the ITV show for the fourth time earlier this year and was shown on Sunday night’s episode, crooning badly for the panel. She was honestly stunned and affronted when the four judges refused to give her a place in bootcamp and since her appearance, many viewers have complained that she was exploited by the show. Even Lily Allen has spoken out on the subject.

Amanda has been working with the Welsh woman since 2008 and befriended her after her last embarrassing X Factor appearance. She gives her free vocal training classes, because she enjoys singing so much but knew a return to the talent competition would be a disaster and rang bosses up to tell them so.

Roberts told The Sun:

“The show just wants someone to ridicule. The producers and judges should hang their heads in shame — they are exploiting a vulnerable woman.”

“When they approached her to go back I rang the producers and told them it wouldn’t be good for her. We had a slanging match for half an hour — they spoke to me like mud.

“I’m a professional person and all I wanted to do was protect Ceri from these people exploiting her.”

After Ceri’s awful performance of Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ the judges did try to let her down gently. gary Barlow said:

“I think the reality of this audition is, although it’s a nice past-time, I don’t know if it’s a full-time job for you this, sorry, but thank you for coming to see us today.”

Tulisa added:

“I love you, unfortunately I just don’t love your voice.”

However, we can’t help thinking it may have been better to not feature Rees at all, especially when talented singers such as Joseph Gilligan and Carolynne Poole were barely featured for more than 30 seconds on the same show.

What did you think of Ceri’s audition? Leave your comments below.

Also check out our list of more successful contestants who are rumoured to have made at least the judges houses stage.