America’s Got Talent judge Howie Mandel had a tense exchange with former X Factor singer Katie Waissel after she argued that competition shows like the one she participated in have a “moral duty” to support contestants’ mental health.
The two appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored as part of a panel to discuss the shocking death of One Direction singer Liam Payne, who shot to fame when the boy band won third place on X Factor UK in 2010.
Waissel, who starred on the same season as One Direction, told the panel, “When it comes to participants on those types of shows myself … there is a legal and moral duty of care, which should be upheld and adhered to.”
Mandel defended the Got Talent franchise, saying the show already offers mental health support to contestants. “First of all, we do take care of people’s mental health,” he began, until Waissel interjected to disagree. “No you don’t! Do you want me to show you the receipts, Howie?” she said.
Waissel then got into a heated back and forth with Piers Morgan and Mandel, until radio presenter James Barr noted that ” a contestant on the show should perhaps have input.”
Mandel continued, “We do have psychologists on staff when we feel that, I know they do it on all Got Talent, even around the world… If we feel that somebody is going south a little bit there is somebody there to talk to them and we do watch over them.”
He then added that if Payne competed on the Got Talent franchise, he would have had a “great” outcome because “people who are rejected have the harder time.”
Morgan then questioned whether Simon Cowell and X Factor still have an “ongoing duty of care” towards Payne though it’s been almost 15 years since he left the show. He also pointed out that the other One Direction members “built incredibly successful solo careers” in comparison to Payne, saying, “I’ve covered many boy bands over the years where some of the men are doing better than the others when they go solo.”
While Mandel appeared to agree that the show has no duty to contestants after the series ends, Barr pointed out, “Yet these shows will describe these people as their family.”
Waissel attempted to speak to her own experience on the show until she was once again cut off by Mandel and Morgan. “I knew before coming on here that this would be the direction of this narrative. That’s fine, I’m more than prepared for it,” she said.
“During our time, which Liam and the band, and Cher Lloyd and Rebecca Ferguson were on the show, there was no duty of care upheld,” she claimed. “The welfare officiant was absolutely unqualified beyond measure which there is evidence of.”
Morgan also insulted Waissel during the panel discussion, pointing out that she “came tenth in a reality show.”
Waissel shared a tribute to Payne after his death and called for more awareness for “individuals who have faced abuse, negligence, and exploitation” in the industry.
Payne died Oct. 16 at the age of 31. The singer fell from the third-floor balcony of a hotel room in Argentina. An autopsy revealed Payne had a mixture of drugs in his system, including “pink cocaine,” benzodiazepine, crack and cocaine.
The singer is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, call or text the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) hotline at 800-950-NAMI (6264).