Former ‘X Factor’ singer Fleur East has defended the show’s most controversial element, the always-polarising Six Chair Challenge.
Introduced in 2013, the challenge sees each judge whittling their remaining contestants down to just six acts, by having them perform one last time in the hope of bagging one of six chairs on stage.
When all six seats have been filled, the remaining hopefuls keep on performing, as those who have already bagged a chair could still have it taken from them, if their judge decides another singer is more deserving.
Every year since it was first brought in, the Six Chair Challenge has sparked much debate among ‘X Factor’ fans, but Fleur has insisted it should stay, because the cut-throat nature prepares the aspiring stars for the music industry.
Speaking to HuffPost UK at the ‘Good Morning Britain’ Health Star Awards, Fleur revealed: “It was horrible, being involved, but [the Six Chair Challenge] prepares you for the industry, it’s very competitive and it’s realistic.
“Speaking from first hand experience, it makes you want to fight even harder, and it makes you appreciate your position once you get through that stage, and then the real competition comes out.
“That’s the thing, a lot of people thrive or crack under pressure, and the industry has a lot of pressure, so if you can survive ‘The X Factor’, you’re ready for the real world!”
Since finishing in second place back in 2014, Fleur has won critical acclaim for her hit debut single, ‘Sax’, and is currently working on her sophomore album, which is slated for release later this year.
She told us of her new material: “I think the last album was a lot more throwback, and now I’ve naturally moved into a more modern sound, but I’m experimenting with a lot of different sounds, sounds from back home where my mum’s from in Ghana, but it’s going to be high-energy, keeping the energy up.
“I was in the studio with Nana Rogues last week actually, who’s produced a lot of stuff on Drake’s album, which is amazing. He’s also from Ghana, where my mum’s from. And I had a little writing camp, and worked with a lot of exciting people, so yeah, there’s a lot in the pipeline.”
Watch highlights from the ‘Good Morning Britain’ Health Star Awards tomorrow (25 April) from 6am on ITV.
