Axed 'X Factor' contestant Mary Byrne has reportedly claimed her departure from the show was rigged.

Today's Daily Mirror reports that Mary said: “The show’s a fix, of course it is. It’s not the show the public think it is. I knew the public had voted for me to stay on, and I actually thought the result would be based just on their vote.

“It was only on Saturday I discovered that there would be a sing-off where the judges decided. It’s obvious Simon didn’t want me in the final and I get that. I’m not as marketable to him as Cher so he was never going to put me through. They fixed it for me to lose. It didn’t matter what the public think."

Her comments came as TV watchdog Ofcom revealed it is investigating complaints from viewers who feel they were misled during the weekend's shows. At the semi-final stage in previous years, there has been no sing-off and the decision was based purely on the public vote.

Viewers have protested that this appeared to be the case again this year as host Dermot O'Leary said at the start of Saturday's programme: "Now it's all in your hands. It's your votes and your votes alone that can get your act safely through to the final."

However, Simon Cowell has denied any plans to fix the show, saying: "We haven't done anything wrong. All the artists knew there was going to be a sing-off. Mary and Cher were told last Monday to prepare a song for a sing-off if necessary."

Meanwhile, controversial former finalist Katie Waissel has told a magazine she is struggling to cope after getting death threats while appearing on the show.

She told Grazia: "That was totally terrifying. I still won’t do anything on my own like go on the Tube or go shopping, I mean that’s how crazy this got.

"People might not like me but I don’t think I deserve that."