X Factor contestant Kayleigh Taylor has “wholeheartedly apologised” for sending allegedly racist messages.
Kayleigh has been accused of sending vile abuse online to an old school friend.
The expletive filled messages – which date back to 2010 – saw Kayleigh brand her former pal a “p***” and a “s**t”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The singer also told the person to “go back to their own country” – despite Kayleigh living in Spain at the time.
In a statement from Kayleigh, she said: “This is disgusting language which there is no excuse for. I shouldn’t have used it and I wholeheartedly apologise for using it.
“This argument took place seven years ago. I have admitted I have made mistakes in the past – and a lot of them – and I am now trying to better my life and be a better person.”
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail say Kayleigh has insisted she is “far from a racist” in a post to Facebook.
“So apparently am in all the newspapers tomorrow cause I called someone a p*** in 2010 I admit it was wrong but the girl who I called it to bullied me None stop in school and am far from a racist my daughters dad is back [sic] god people these days,” Kayleigh is quoted as writing online.
Speaking the Liverpool Echo, Kayleigh commented “It’s been disgusting. I’ve been branded a racist. Apparently I have got no shame, I’m an unfit mum but it’s not true anyway. There’s no denying it was racist at all. I’m not saying what I said was right, but I’m not a racist. I have got mixed race friends and friends from all different countries.
“I understand people are going to be angry when they see it. But at the end of the day they were sent in 2010, I’ve changed a lot since then, if my children used language like that I’d be horrified.”
She added: “If I heard someone say that to my daughter I’d kick off. It’s disgusting. It’s embarrassing. I’ve apologised but it’s not been accepted.”
Liverpool mum Kayleigh surprised the judges on The X Factor last weekend in Saturday night’s first audition show.
The 27 year-old mum of three told cameras she only took up singing five years ago after performing in a competition called Benidorm’s Got Talent while on holiday.
In the audition room, Kayleigh shocked Simon when she revealed a tattoo of his name on her rear before singing Evanescence’s My Immortal.
“You’ve got a brilliant personality and you don’t realise what talent you’ve got,” Louis Walsh said.
Following her audition it was revealed Kayleigh had previously appeared on ITV’s Jeremy Kyle.
She took part in a segment called ‘I found my long-lost father and I hope DNA proves he’s not my dad’, where she was accused of stealing her father’s phone.
She denied the accusation but failed a lie detector test on the show.
“I don’t pretend to be perfect. I’m human,” Kayleigh told The Sun newspaper. “I’ve made a number of mistakes in the past and I’m now trying to better my life.”
Meanwhile, a pal added to the tabloid: “Kayleigh’s hasn’t had the easiest start in life. She has been involved in her fair share of scrapes over the years.
“Hopefully, her stint on X Factor is an opportunity to start afresh and turn over a new leaf.”
The X Factor 2017 auditions continue Saturday and Sunday nights on ITV.