'X Factor' Judge Tulisa Contostavlos Facing Ofcom Probe Over Perfume Promotion

X FACTOR: Could Ofcom Ban Tulisa's Signature Arm Gesture?

Watchdog Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos has breached broadcasting rules by promoting her brand of perfume on the hit ITV1 show.

The star, 23, unveiled her new fragrance, The Female Boss, last month at The Perfume Shop in London.

Ofcom has received complaints that, by making her signature arm gesture when she is introduced on stage with the other judges at the start of each show, Tulisa is promoting her perfume on The X Factor.

As well as looking at the arm gesture, Ofcom is viewing a pre-recorded segment on The Xtra Factor which was aired about the new scent.

The N-Dubz star spoke about The Female Boss perfume and discussed the connection to her signature move in the spin-off programme at the end of October.

The regulator is assessing the footage against rules on promoting and referencing commercial products in programming.

Ofcom has not yet decided whether to investigate after receiving a small number of complaints about a swear word written on singer Rihanna's shoe at the weekend.

Earlier this year, The X Factor was reprimanded by Ofcom after being found in breach of product placement rules with references to new singles by Diana Vickers and Michael Buble.

The watchdog has also said that last year's X Factor final featuring Christina Aguilera and her backing dancers in a racy routine was "at the very margin of acceptability".

The "sexualised" pre-watershed scenes, aired in December on ITV1 at the end of the seventh series, sparked 2,868 complaints to the media regulator.

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