Lydon slams 'cruel' X Factor

John Lydon has branded the X Factor a “cruel” show that churns out “cruise ship” acts.

The Sex Pistols frontman was promoting his new autobiography Anger Is An Energy at an event at Oxford University when he took aim the the reality TV show and its creator Simon Cowell.

According to the NME, Lydon said: “Simon Cowell, that’s our worst enemy. I don’t think people on the show are that awful, it becomes awful when they become trained into that cruise ship show band mentality, and that’s the poison of it.

“He has got us all on his big cruise ship lollipop, and I ain’t licking his lollipop.

“It’s really bad, all of those shows. How seriously the judges take themselves, and the way they judge people, just being innocent. The brutality and the cruelty of it – that ain’t the world I live in.”

Last month Lydon revealed he had blown £10,000 on mobile phone apps and games for his iPad.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.