London — Former contestants on The X Factor describe a cutthroat production machine that treated them as disposable pieces in the Sunday, February 22, Magic Radio episode of Popstars at 25: The Story of a Talent Show Revolution. Host Nicki Chapman guides listeners through interviews revealing tabloid leaks, scripted confrontations and engineered rivalries designed to spike ratings.

Matt Terry, the 2016 champion, lays bare his sense of abandonment during the show’s frenzy. ‘All of a sudden, I looked around and I was like “no one here is protecting me,”‘ Terry tells Chapman. He points to internal leaks that ignited tabloid firestorms, all to serve the program. ‘I understand, it’s all to do with the show… we are pawns,’ he says. Terry embraces his victory but insists it won’t define him alone.

Lucie Jones recounts a classic setup at her audition. Producers directed her to perform a specific song, only for Simon Cowell to grill her choice on camera. ‘You can see my face going “you told me to,”‘ she recalls. During live shows, Jones held back from pushing back on song picks. ‘Can you imagine in 2009 a 17-year-old little girl from Wales standing up to Simon Cowell? Absolutely not,’ she says.

Marvin Humes from JLS spotlights Cowell’s tactical moves to stoke tension. With no direct competitors, Cowell assembled a rival boy band from four solo acts just to challenge them, Humes explains. The move kept JLS sharp and the drama alive. He also laughs off the Judges’ Houses twist. Contestants dreamed of glamour spots like Los Angeles or Miami. Instead, Louis Walsh took them to Dublin.

Chapman’s series traces the evolution from the original Popstars in 2000 through The X Factor’s dominance. The debut episode already aired; catch it on the Rayo app if you missed it. New installments hit Magic Radio Sundays at 7 p.m. Chapman hosts Mellow Magic weeknights from 8 to 10 p.m., too.

These accounts paint a picture of glory laced with exploitation. Terry’s pawn admission echoes wider critiques of reality TV’s underbelly. Jones’s story shows how producers scripted judge clashes for maximum impact. Humes credits Cowell’s ruthlessness for the thrill but reveals the human cost.

The series arrives as nostalgia mixes with reevaluation. Two decades after Popstars launched Hear’Say and S Club 7, Chapman spotlights lasting scars. Listeners get unfiltered takes from those who lived it. Tune in Sunday for more from the talent show battleground that reshaped British pop.