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By LIZ THOMAS
In the spotlight: X Factor contestant Cheryl Lloyd features in a five minute YouTube video which accuses her of being a bully and make lewd allegationsThe X Factor contestant Cher Lloyd is the victim of a bullying internet hate campaign featuring a YouTube video branding her a liar and a cheat.
The five minute clip has had almost one million hits and features footage, which also accuses her of being a bully and for heavily partying in the early stages of the show instead of concentrating on her performance.
Thousands have commented on the video, which claims to highlight discrepancies between what the 17-year-old has said about writing her own lyrics for some of her early performances and the reality.
Some have defended the teenager and branded the anonymously posted video and campaign – which is also linked to a Facebook group with more than 3000 members – as malicious and bitter.
Others insisted the campaign suggested that her success on the show had been unfair and the hype around her unwarranted.
It also makes lewd allegations about her personal life.
Strike a pose: Cher is a ringer for her mentor Cheryl, seen here with heavy eye make-up and a hooded top for a photoshoot
Inspiration: The X Factor contestant, wearing jewellery by Me & Zena, looks edgy in the shoot, with Cheryl seen right in a similar type of outfit on stage back in May Miss Cole and Simon Cowell have both hailed the young singer as a breath of fresh air and bringing originality to the show.
It is the second time someone from this year’s series has been at the centre of an internet bullying campaign.
Earlier this month Katie Waissel threatened to quit the show following a ‘bullying campaign’ against her.
Brave face: Cher pictured with fellow contestant Mary Byrne arriving for rehearsals at Fountain Studios in north-west London
Rehearsal time: Katie Waissel has also been the subject of a hate campaign. Right, Rebecca FergusonThe 24-year-old suffered an emotional meltdown in the X Factor house after a public backlash against her.
She was the subject of an internet campaign to stop viewers voting for her after fans argued that her mentor Miss Cole should not have picked her as one of her acts for the live finals.
She had failed to complete two of her three songs during the audition process yet was still put through ahead of viewers’ favourite Gamu Nhengu, who is now facing the threat of deportation to her native Zimbabwe.
All together: Girl band Belle Amie's, from left Sophia Wardman, Esther Campbell, Geneva Lane and Rebecca Creighton
Tension in the ranks: Breathtakingly confident Wardman, left, says she doesn't want to just be known as 'the pretty one'The ease at which it is able to whip up a campaign through social networking and video sharing sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube highlights the dangers of cyber bullying.
Statistics show as many as one in five children have been at the receiving end of abuse via the internet or a mobile phone.
This year's Anti-Bullying Alliance survey revealed that 18 per cent of ten and 11-year-olds had been cyber-bullied while in their own home.
Manufactured pop: Boyband One Direction, pictured at rehearsals today, were put together by Simon CowellThere has also been a rise in suicides by teenage victims of cyber-bullying, youngsters so distraught by their torment they are driven to take their own lives.
The rise of hate campaigns for those taking part in The X Factor also raises questions about how well equipped aspiring contestants are to handle these things when they are thrust into the public eye.
The series has employed a psychologist to monitor the well-being of contestants during and after the show.
Dannii's boys: Matt Cardle arrived with his guitar in hand while Aiden Grimshaw was all wrapped up against the coldMiss Lloyd already appears nervous and frail, and her tiny frame has raised concerns about her eating habits.
The student from Malvern last week insisted: ‘I am eating. There is no problem. Of course I am eating I wouldn’t be able to perform if I wasn’t.’
This week’s theme for The X Factor is Guilty Pleasures in which the remaining 12 contestants will sing two songs each, as well as a group performance.
Insiders said the show had been hit by week – producers were forced to call in pest control after the finalists discovered their was a maggot infestation in their house.
It is understood that there has been in-fighting among some of the key production team of the show, with disputes over song choices, costumes and singing style.
source : dailymail
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