Christopher Maloney has bravely opened up about his personal sufferings, 14 years after his stint on the X Factor.
The singer, 48, who found fame on the ITV show in 2012 and finished in third place, has called out the reality show’s ‘lack of support’ when it wrapped up.
Following his appearances on The X Factor and Celebrity Big Brother, Christopher has been through emotional turmoil over the years.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail, the singer has described his decades-long battle with self harm, body dysmorphia and more recently a plastic surgery addiction.
While he insisted he has no regrets from starring on the show and had an overly positive experience, Christopher has shared his disappointment on being ‘left to his own devices’ when he came straight out.
He said: ‘I did have a breakdown. That was probably because of the fact that when you are catapulted from being in a regular nine to five job and being catapulted into the spotlight on a show that’s got 15 million viewers, you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s mind blowing.’
Christopher Maloney, 48, has bravely opened up about his personal sufferings, 14 years after his stint on the X Factor (pictured left now, right in 2012)
‘I think for me extra support would have been nice’, he added.
‘Like when you come off the show, you’re left to your own devices. That’s it. You’re on your own, even though it’s up to the management company.
‘There’s no support and that’s the probably the reason why I had the breakdown at the end.’
Speaking about his depression and struggle with self harming, the Liverpool-born singer said: ‘I’m opening up to help and highlight this condition, it’s very rarely talked about and very little is understood about it.
‘The condition is extremely common in men in their 40s. I’ve struggled with it since childhood, unaware I had the condition.’
Christopher explained his mental health issues began when he was around the age of five and started to self harm.
When he entered his forties, his battle started again and he would often find himself hiding his scars out of fear.
‘I decided to seek help and was diagnosed with a complex self harm condition. Self harm is on a completely different level and extremely difficult to control.
Following his appearances on The X Factor and Celebrity Big Brother, Christopher has been through emotional turmoil over the years (pictured on CBB in 2016)
In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail, the singer has described his decades-long battle with self harm, body dysmorphia and more recently a plastic surgery addiction
After a decades-long battle with self harm, Christopher has revealed he got his scars covered with tattoos to help cope (pictured with his tattooist)
‘After being diagnosed, I now understand the condition a lot more, I’ve tried so many different ways to cope with it. I’ve tried medication, therapy, nothing worked. So I needed to think of a way to try and control it myself.’
Christopher reached out to Dynamic Tattoos in Liverpool where he got two inkings done to cover up his scaring.
He said: ‘The tattoos have not only hid my scars, but completely stopped me from self harming and helped alter the pattern of my condition.
‘I’ve had both my forearms tattooed which were disfigured the most. I know it’s extreme, but it’s a way to cope with this condition and so far it’s working.
‘I just want to say to anyone who is reading this and experiencing any of the above, please seek help from your GP right away.’
Christopher also spoke about his ongoing battle with body dysmorphia and his extreme plastic surgery addiction.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others.
The singer has had 20 tweaks in the last seven years, including seven nose jobs, eight hair transplants, his teeth done and three eye operations – all which he thinks totals to around £160,000.
Christopher also spoke about his ongoing battle with body dysmorphia and his extreme plastic surgery addiction (pictured in 2019)
The singer has had 20 tweaks in the last seven years, including seven nose jobs, eight hair transplants, his teeth done and three eye operations – all which he thinks totals to £160,000
He said: ‘I’m trying not to be as drastic as what I used to, though, because there’ll be nothing left. Once you’ve got body dysmorphia, it doesn’t go away. It’s just trying to manage.
‘I don’t look in the mirror now and go I hate myself. I hate the way I look anymore. You know, I’m a little more confident with it. But you know, I’m still addicted to plastic surgery. You know that that’s not gonna go.’
In the last two years, Christopher has been grieving his father Chris after he tragically passed away.
In 2023, Christopher said: ‘So today my world has fallen apart… At 8am this morning my beautiful Dad has suddenly passed away at home.
‘I am totally devastated and broken hearted beyond any words. Thank you in advance for any well wishes or messages and I will now be taking a social media break.’
Christopher is not the only X Factor star to criticise the show, claiming there was ‘no support’ when the series ended and he ‘struggled’ after.
A spokesperson for The X Factor previously told Daily Mail: ‘We take the welfare of everyone involved in our shows extremely seriously and during Matt’s time on the show in 2016, there were robust measures in place to ensure everyone involved in the making of the programme was supported throughout their experience and beyond.
‘Including a dedicated welfare team made up of psychologists, doctors, welfare producers and independent legal and management advisors with no time limit on aftercare once the show had aired.
‘These measures were under constant review, and we have always been proactive in adapting and updating them for future series to reflect the requirements of the show.’
Daily Mail has contacted a spokesperson for The X Factor for comment.
For help and support, call the Samaritans for free from a UK phone, completely anonymously, on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org
