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Katie has revealed she has begun \u2018healing\u2019 after speaking out about allegedly being sexually assaulted (Picture: Rex)Katie Waissel has revealed she has begun \u2018healing\u2019 after speaking out about allegedly being sexually assaulted by a member of The X Factor team.
\nThe singer, who appeared on the ITV show in 2010, previously claimed that the incident took place in a luxury hotel when she met the man to talk about her music career.
\nShe also alleged that the ordeal took place in the US, some years after she competed in the series. \u00a0\u00a0
\nSpeaking to Closer magazine, the 35-year-old explained that she is glad she has spoken out, as it\u2019s helping her to move on.
\n\u2018I\u2019m taking things one day at a time,\u2019 she told the publication. \u2018Sharing my story has begun a new chapter of justice and healing for myself and others who have reached out via social media to share support.\u2019
\nKatie previously told how she feared she\u2019d never work again if she spoke out.
\nRecalling the alleged incident to The Sun, she said: \u2018I can still smell him. I was paralysed with shock. All I could think was, \u201cHow am I going to leave this room?\u201d<\/p>\n
Katie rose to fame after appearing on The X Factor in 2010 (Picture: Shutterstock)\u2018I was a victim but I wouldn\u2019t allow myself to recognise just how terrible it had been. I\u2019ve never spoken before as I thought I\u2019d be blacklisted and never work again.
\n\u2018I was vulnerable but times have changed and I now feel bold enough to speak out.\u2019
\nThe TV personality, who previously opened up about feeling suicidal following her appearance on the show, had decided against making a complaint at the time because she was pregnant and wanted to avoid unnecessary stress.<\/p>\n
Katie previously told how she feared she\u2019d never work again if she spoke out (Picture: WireImage)She added: \u2018I was so focused on being successful and was vulnerable to a man like this who exploited that. If I could go back in time, I would never have taken part.\u2019
\nSimon Cowell\u2019s company launched a probe into the allegations as soon as they were made aware of them.
\nThe man \u2013 who has denied the accusations \u2013 no longer works for the firm.<\/p>\n
Simon Cowell\u2019s company launched a probe into the allegations as soon as they were made aware of them (Picture: FilmMagic)A spokesperson for Syco Entertainment told Metro.co.uk in a statement: \u2018We were made aware via the media of Katie\u2019s claims in Autumn 2017 and we immediately contacted her and began an investigation.
\n\u2018We were naturally shocked at the allegations and wanted to do anything we could to help \u2013 so we asked her to lodge a complaint with us and detail the allegations for that purpose. In the interim we suspended the accused.
\nMore: The X Factor<\/p>\n
\u2018Despite a number of requests to Katie asking her to detail the claims to us, she chose not to make a complaint over his behaviour. As a result, and without other evidence to the contrary, we were obliged to accept his denial of the claims.
\n\u2018We, of course, remain ready and keen to investigate her claims if she so chooses to detail them to us and even though the alleged perpetrator no longer works for either Syco or Sony Music.\u2019<\/p>\n
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