The X Factor contestant Joseph Whelan has denied using his adorable young son to help him progress on the show. Joseph competed on the talent contest’s 2012 series but was the subject of public uproar when he was ejected ahead of the Judges’ Houses stage.
This year he has come back for a second crack of the whip, and his 5-year-old son has featured prominently so far.
“One thing that gets to me is when people say I try and use my son. It’s not nice. Kian comes because he wants to come to the show,” he told Digital Spy.
“He wanted to come to the arena audition as well, but it was such a long day waiting around I didn’t take him. So it’s not like every opportunity I get I throw my son in there as some sort of sob story.”
Joseph Whelan returns to The X Factor (ITV)
He went on:
“I think the thing is you can have a million good comments and if you get one bad one, that’s the one that sticks out to you.
“If someone said something about my voice I’d take it on the chin, but when it’s personal about my family then that does hurt my feelings. He’s just a 5-year-old lad who wants to come and see his dad sing.”
