After the ‘bullying’ controversy that surrounded two judges from the ‘X Factor’ New Zealand series, Natalia Kills and Willy Moon both offered their apologies to their contestant, Joe Irvine, who they harshly criticized live on air for his performance.
Following their ‘destructive tirade,' the husband-and wife duo were removed from the show by MediaWorks, the owner of TV3 which broadcasts ‘X Factor’ within the country.
The couple, who married in 2014, recently offered their apologies by posting messages on Twitter. Kills wrote that she was “relieved” to break her silence after being fired from ‘X Factor’ several days ago.
“A lot goes on behind the scenes of a reality TV show and you see isn't always the whole story," the singer wrote. “The show brought me on to bring my passion, dramatic expression and perspective. I was encouraged to be outspoken and things got out of hand."
Directly addressing Irvine, she further stated: "Joe. I hope you can forgive me and I wish you all the best! Be natural, unconventional and be you!"
Moon’s explanation of the incident along with his own apology expressed the same sentiments as that of his wife.
"The show encourages judges to be forthright and highly opinionated. It went too far and I never intended to single out anyone,” he tweeted.
Moon also had some well wishes for the crew and contestants of the ‘X Factor’, specifically Irvine.
“I wish the contestants, crew, and particularly Joe, all the best,” he added.
Following the harsh comments that Kills and Moon said to describe Irvine’s performance on the show, TV3 was reportedly pressured by sponsors to immediately remove the duo from ‘X Factor’ after the footage of their inappropriate outburst went viral last Sunday.
On its official Facebook page, TV3 referred to the incident as “bullying” and added the following statement: "We have decided Natalia Kills and Willy Moon are no longer suitable to judge The X Factor NZ and have been removed from the show."
Fellow members of the judges’ pane, including former ‘Australian Idol’ winner Stan Walker and British girl group All Saints singer Melanie Blatt will continue on as the remaining judges on ‘X Factor’ New Zealand. The network is currently searching for potential judges who will replace Kills and Moon on the show.
Meanwhile, huge names in the music industry, such as Ed Sheeran, Lorde, and Ellie Goulding, already expressed their disapproval of the “bullying” incident and shared words of support and encouragement for Irvine.
