‘X-Factor’ contestant Lucy Spraggan says she was “raped” by hotel porter

Former X-Factor star Lucy Spraggan admitted that she left the show behind in 2012 when she was sexually assaulted by a hotel porter after she had been partying with Rylan Clark. She revealed the details in her memoir Process: Finding My Way Through.

She explained that she had been “let down” by her network, ITV, and had been forced to leave the show after she had been selected at just 20. She quickly became a big name as she was the first artist to play an instrument and sing her own song which went on to become the fourth most-watched video of that year.

However, after three live shows, the assault left her unable to continue with the series due to the side effects of her Pep medication, which is given to patients to prevent them from contracting HIV.

She explained that the assault took place after Rylan’s 25th birthday party where they were provided with unlimited alcohol which ultimately led to Lucy falling unconscious. Speaking to the Guardian, she added that a production team member had escorted her to her hotel from the Mayfair Mahiki nightclub.

From there on, a hotel porter offered to take her to her room where he made sure the door was unable to lock automatically. Sometime later, Clark then visited her room to make sure she was alright before locking the door and leaving.

This means that the assailant had been able to unlock the door with a keycard of their own and assaulted her. She told the Guardian: “I woke up the next day with this sense of sheer dread. I don't think I've ever felt that level of confusion since. I knew that I'd been raped, but I could not process that. So I put my clothes on and went into autopilot.”

However, after she left the show, she felt frustrated at the lack of support from the show and network. “No one ever contacted me to ask if I was OK. No one called or emailed when the trial was over and he was convicted. No one offered me rehabilitation or ongoing mental health treatment. I was on my own.”