X Factor season launch sparks controversy among judges and contestants

The new season of X Factor has sparked early controversy involving judges and contestants. The musical duo Sad Twins expressed frustration toward the show’s social media presence after a video featuring them was posted with an ironic TikTok audio. The duo criticized the show for using memes to mock participants and directed personal criticism toward judge Paola Iezzi following her reaction to the post.

In a separate incident during the auditions, contestant Teo Bok received four ‘yes’ votes from the jury after an initial exchange where judges joked about his highly precise diction, comparing it to artificial intelligence. While Bok handled the banter with humor, singer Jessica Morlacchi criticized the judges on social media, defending Bok and questioning the vocal abilities of the judging panel.