X Factor star Lucy Spraggan breaks down in tears as she reveals Simon Cowell's response to rape ordeal

X Factor star Lucy Spraggan has been seen breaking down in tears as she shared how Simon Cowell gave her an apology after she was raped while appearing on his show.

The singer revealed over the weekend that she was raped by a hotel porter while competing on the ITV talent show in 2012. Lucy said the attack took place after a night out celebrating fellow contestant Rylan Clark’s birthday at a Mayfair nightclub, which was attended by members of the X Factor production team.

The 31-year-old, who lives in Manchester and was raised in Buxton, told the Guardian she felt let down by ITV and the production team who were 'unprepared' to deal with what had happened. It comes after she speaks about her ordeal in her new memoir, Process: Finding My Way Through.

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ITV said the broadcaster had the 'deepest compassion for Lucy' while a spokesperson for Fremantle, the British TV company that produced The X Factor for ITV under its Thames TV entertainment arm, said they were 'extremely sorry for everything Lucy has suffered'.

Lucy, who was 20 at the time of the attack, has now spoken in a harrowing interview discussing the brutal incident and wept as she revealed how Cowell was left heartbroken by the news. She said the X Factor judge told her: "Lucy, before you or I say anything else, the first thing I need to tell you is that I am sorry."

Lucy told the BBC about the 63-year-old music mogul's response": "It makes me emotional because no-one else said sorry. And all it took was this one man to treat me like a human being, 11 years later."

Simon also told the Guardian that what happened to Lucy was 'horrific and heartbreaking'. He continued: