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Rebecca Ferguson thanks sexual harassment and bullying watchdog after MBE award

X-Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has thanked a new regulator set up to monitor sexual harassment and bullying in the entertainment industry after she was named in the King’s Birthday Honours

Rebecca Ferguson praised a new sexual harassment and bullying watchdog after campaigning for change in the music industry(Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/Getty I)

Rebecca Ferguson has praised a new sexual harassment and bullying watchdog after campaigning for Change in the music industry.

The 37-year-old X Factor star, who was just made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the music industry, claims she was “psychologically manipulated, bullied and abused” by two “influential figures” following the ITV talent show. Last year, the mother-of-four called for more protection for people in reality TV and the music industry after speaking out about the toxic side of show business.




On Saturday, Rebecca described her MBE award as a “lovely surprise”, thanked the King and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and said she was “very grateful and honoured to be recognised with this extremely prestigious award”.

X-Factor star Rebecca Ferguson has thanked a new regulator set up to monitor sexual harassment and bullying in the entertainment industry((PA)
The singer from Liverpool became famous through “X Factor” in 2010((Ken McKay/Rex Features)

Speaking about the regulator CIISA (Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority), she said: “I would like to thank CIISA (Creative Industries Independent Standards Authority) and everyone who has made this possible. We are only at the very beginning and long may this remain a new reality for the industry.”

CIISA hopes to maintain and improve “standards of conduct” in the world of entertainment and broadcasting and is supported by actresses such as Carey Mulligan and Keira Knightley.

Rebecca, who beat One Direction to finish second on The X Factor in 2010, also paid tribute to her grandmother Mavis Jameson, who “taught her my story, which gave me the strength to speak truth to power,” and her mother and late grandmother Caroline Ferguson.

The singer campaigned for the introduction of the new regulator, which would look after the welfare of artists. Rebecca had a meeting with then-Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden in 2021, which she described at the time as “very productive”, to discuss discrimination in the music industry.

In June 2023, she called on media regulator Ofcom to conduct an investigation into reality TV shows to “ensure the future safety of participants”.