Biography
Katie Waissel was the stand-out villain of the X Factor 2010 pantomime… Boo Hiss… providing X Factor with more column inches that a royal wedding.
That said, in an online survey of 2010’s most talked-about newcomers, she only ranked fourth, behind both Cher Lloyd and Matt Cardle. Thankfully, she beat Paul the psychic octpus into fifth place.
Katie Waissel was a controversial choice to go through to the X Factor live shows when Cheryl Cole included her ahead of Gamu Nhengu and Treyc Cohen, having fallen apart in floods of tears (again – it was a running theme with Katie Waissel…) singing Smile at the judge’s house (in front of Cheryl Cole and will.i.am).
The 24-year-old had initially auditioned for the show singing Queen’s We Are The Champions but was stopped a few bars into the performance by Simon Cowell when she started to forget the words. She then began again, singing a different song, At Last by Etta James, and was put through to X Factor Boot Camp.
Oriniginally from Harefield, West London, Katie Waissel’s past began to catch up with her during the X Factor live shows when it emerged in the press that the former receptionist and waitress had once worked at OK! Magazine, and that she already had a recording contract in the US under the name Lola Fontaine.
It also emerged that she had appeared and performed as Katie Vogel on the internet show Green Eyed World, and that she had previously toured with both East 17 and former X Factor contestant Andy Abraham. Oh, and she’d also performed at a bash for Paris Hilton with fellow X Factor 2010 contestant Storm Lee!
Oh, and she how did we almost forget, she was also in a newspaper slanging match with her ex, Michael Sophocles, a former Apprentice contestant…
Understandably then, fame-hungry Katie Waissel was immediately put to the sword by the viewing public and nicknamed The Weasel – which in itself resulted in claims of cyber-bullying and press harassment.
She was in the bottom two a record four times, and saved by the judges / viewer votes each time. Growing public anger against her survival led to mass claims that X Factor was rigged to keep her in.
Something that Simon Cowell most vigorously denies, of course. Katie Waissel finally left the competition in week eight, at the double eviction, when she polled the lowest number of public votes and was automatically given the chop.