X Factor contestants were up in arms when they attended this year’s bootcamp, after being told that they had to group up with two other acts.

Worst affected were the groups. When they joined two other acts, there were up to 12 singers on stage, all vying for some of the judges attention.

Katrina Lee, who had plastic surgery for the show, told The Sun: “People couldn’t always choose the song they wanted to perform. Some groups struggled working together, got stressed and forgot the words.”

Nyima Small, who previously appeared on 2002’s Popstars: The Rivals said: “It felt like they had planned it to make it more dramatic.

“I ended up singing Diana Ross’s Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, which is a song I can’t bear.”

Duane Lamonte – a pal of former winner Leona Lewis – said: “You could have as many as 12 people on stage at one time. You had to make your line the one moment to shine.

“It really knocked me off my feet compared to last year. Some people made a real fool of themselves.”