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X Factor winner Alexandra Burke has claimed she was told to bleach her skin and change her hair so she would "appeal to white people".
The singer, who won the TV talent show in 2008, has posted a video online talking about her experiences of racism during her time in showbusiness.
In the candid clip, Alexandra, 31, says she was told to avoid wearing braids or an afro style and to adopt a hair style that would appeal to white audiences.
She explains: "When I first won the X Factor, I was 19, I got told, 'cos you're black you are going to have to work 10 times harder than a white artist because of the colour of your skin.
"You can't have braids, you can't have an afro, you can't have anything that is basically my identity.
You have to have hair for example that appeals to white people so people can understand you "better.
"I mean, I was only 19 years old. There's only so much you can understand at 19 and your life has completely changed overnight.
Alexandra also claims she was also told to use skin lightening products but she refused.
She goes on: "I got told to bleach my skin and that was something I refused to do...
"Because that is just absurd to me that somebody could even remotely say to someone 'Bleach your skin so you can look whiter'.
"Still to this moment it breaks my heart that I was told that."
Alexandra does not reveal who made these requests of her.
It comes after fellow X Factor star Fleur East claimed she was told to ditch her natural hair if she wanted to succeed in the music industry. 📎 The key is : Learn how to BE HAPPY BY YOURSELF FIRST. Because a human being that is happy on his/her own will never settle to be miserable with someone else. When you find happiness on your own then you will be able to spread it and share it with someone else. ... CRITIC ALSO 🖋️ spill TEA ☕ Easy on Shade 💣
The singer, who won the TV talent show in 2008, has posted a video online talking about her experiences of racism during her time in showbusiness.
In the candid clip, Alexandra, 31, says she was told to avoid wearing braids or an afro style and to adopt a hair style that would appeal to white audiences.
She explains: "When I first won the X Factor, I was 19, I got told, 'cos you're black you are going to have to work 10 times harder than a white artist because of the colour of your skin.
"You can't have braids, you can't have an afro, you can't have anything that is basically my identity.
You have to have hair for example that appeals to white people so people can understand you "better.
"I mean, I was only 19 years old. There's only so much you can understand at 19 and your life has completely changed overnight.
Alexandra also claims she was also told to use skin lightening products but she refused.
She goes on: "I got told to bleach my skin and that was something I refused to do...
"Because that is just absurd to me that somebody could even remotely say to someone 'Bleach your skin so you can look whiter'.
"Still to this moment it breaks my heart that I was told that."
Alexandra does not reveal who made these requests of her.
It comes after fellow X Factor star Fleur East claimed she was told to ditch her natural hair if she wanted to succeed in the music industry. 📎 The key is : Learn how to BE HAPPY BY YOURSELF FIRST. Because a human being that is happy on his/her own will never settle to be miserable with someone else. When you find happiness on your own then you will be able to spread it and share it with someone else. ... CRITIC ALSO 🖋️ spill TEA ☕ Easy on Shade 💣
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