- Clark supports Spraggan post-assault
- Spraggan reveals assault in memoir
- Industry response evolves, care prioritized
Lucy Spraggan and Clark were both contestants on The X Factor in 2012. “Illness” was the reason given at the time for her abrupt withdrawal from the final live performances. However, she disclosed last year that she had been assaulted by a hotel porter after a night out.
Rylan Clark revealed how he supported Lucy Spraggan after her X Factor rape.
The two became close friends during their competition in 2012. She abruptly withdrew during the live rounds, citing “illness” as the reason, according to the producers.
Spraggan revealed in a memoir published the previous year that she was assaulted by a hotel porter following a Mayfair nightclub party celebrating Clark’s birthday, which was attended by X Factor production staff.
Clark, now a media personality and broadcaster, described the period as “horrendous” in a recent interview and mentioned that he had kept “quiet” about the details for eleven years.
“That was a really, really tough time,” he said. “I remain silent on the subject, despite my involvement, because it is not my place to tell the horror; it was abhorrent.
“It was my birthday night as a 24-year-old when I awoke to a friend saying, ‘I was raped last night’. While I was on the most popular programme in the country and being followed by the press… I am amazed at how I managed it.”
Clark, now 35, said that Spraggan nicknamed him Jessica Fletcher, the character played by Dame Angela Lansbury in Murder, She Wrote, because he acted swiftly to preserve the crime scene. He told TV researchers to “go get the bosses” and stopped hotel staff from cleaning the room.
“I became like a crime detective, and I don’t know why that was,” he added.
Spraggan detailed in her autobiography, Process: Finding My Way Through. She became too ill to continue with the programme because she was required to take an HIV prevention medication.
Moreover, she stated that the television production staff promptly contacted law enforcement and secured an arrest but felt they were “unprepared” to deal with the situation, in her view.
Clark remarked, “There were many things that could have been improved.” Although I believe that everyone learned a great deal from those kinds of mistakes, I maintain that the man who assaulted Lucy was the only one to blame.
“Having worked on reality shows for the past twelve years, I have seen the evolution of duty of care,” he continued. “It is now the top priority for everyone.”
That year, James Arthur was declared the winner of The X Factor. Spraggan’s Join The Club peaked at number seven in 2013, and Choices reached number five in 2021, both albums making the top ten of the UK albums charts.
Improving Aftercare Following Assault
The assault on Spraggan was previously described by a representative of Fremantle, the British television company that produced The X Factor for ITV under its Thames TV entertainment arm, as a heinous criminal act for which the perpetrator, who had no connection to the programme, was duly prosecuted and jailed.
The spokesperson said, “Everyone should feel safe while sleeping in a hotel room, and it is horrifying to think how a hotel porter breached that trust in such a vile manner.”
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The assault, as far as we are aware, was an unprecedented event in the television industry of the United Kingdom. Lucy feels we could have done more to help her after the ordeal, even though we thought we were. Therefore, we must accept this.
We sincerely apologise for all that Lucy has endured. Since then, we have strived to incorporate the lessons learned from these events into our aftercare procedures.
Although we made considerable efforts to protect Lucy’s right to anonymity for the rest of her life. We admire her bravery and courage in waiving that right.
