Row over X Factor star's 'troops snub'
THE X Factor have said Ulster finalist Eoghan Quigg couldn't meet wounded war heroes because of filming commitments.
A spokeswoman for the show denied accusations from disgruntled ex-soldiers that the baby-faced teenager had taken a republican stand and snubbed a visit to troops.
All but three X Factor competitors paid tribute to maimed soldiers on Monday night when they dropped in at the Forces' rehab centre, Headley Court.
The acts took an emotional tour of the facility as their Help for Heroes charity single hit shops – in which Eoghan performed.
Photos of the visit were splashed across newspapers yesterday and the News Letter received calls from troops who realised the only Ulster contestant wasn't there.
They accused schoolboy Eoghan, 16, of rejecting a meeting with the soldiers – because he was from the nationalist stronghold of Dun-given.
An X Factor spokeswoman said: "Eoghan, Austin Drage and Scott Bruton could not attend the visit because they had filming commitments for Saturday's show. All of the X Factor contestants sang on the Help for Heroes single which is in shops, and none have refused to visit the soldiers because of any political viewpoint."
Eoghan is down to the final three in the boys' category, mentored by Simon Cowell – and none of them could make it to the Headley Court visit. During their 90-minute stay at the centre, the rest of the finalists took to the gym stage where they gave a special rendition of their charity song Hero.
More than eight million viewers watched the final acts sing it on Saturday's X Factor results show.
Former Royal Irish Ranger Gary Caldwell was one of the ex-servicemen who contacted the News Letter yesterday: "If Eoghan did snub the visit because of some political view, it's disgusting.
"Sinn Fein are trying to stop the troops parading in Belfast this weekend, and there's a lot of outrage in security circles."
Reader Simon Johnston said: "I myself do not agree with the war in Iraq but do support our soldiers who go out and risk their lives and futures doing their job. I feel that Eoghan's absence was due to his beliefs and being from a small town dominated by nationalists. How can someone go on a British show and welcome support from British people but not stand and support the British armed forces?"
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Monday 28 May 2012
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