Cheryl Cole "Ordered" to Drop Gamu from X Factor

As fans continue to be outraged over Cheryl Cole's decision not to put Gamu Nhengu through to the X Factor final twelve, reports have surfaced today that Cole may have been forced to drop the Zimbabwe singing sensation over fears that she may be deported when her visa expires.

Many X Factor fans were astonished and angered when Gamu Nhengu was dropped from the show at the final hurdle, but X Factor insiders say that Cheryl Cole had no say over the final decision. Gamu is currently waiting for her visa to be renewed but it has been claimed that X Factor bosses were concerned that it wouldn't come through in time for the live shows - and having her disappear in the middle would cause too much disruption.

Over 500 complaints were received by ITV when Gamu was axed and over 140,000 people have joined a Facebook page in support of the rejected singer.

Reports that Gamu may face deportation came early on in the audition phases of the show, but the rumours seemed to simmer down and she was allowed to continue with the audition process. The big question on everyone's lips is - why was Gamu Nhengu allowed to get so far, only to have her dream snatched away from her at the last minute?

Keeping in mind that Katie Waissel cheated her way through the auditions when she already had a recording contract - which is against X Factor rules - how is it fair that she was allowed to stay on? The difference between a record deal and illegal residency is huge, yes. But the fact remains, rules were still broken and Waissel was allowed to remain as a contestant. Katie Waissel is making headlines herself as being "all talk" and heavy publicity is being given to the reality TV show she made before the X Factor.

Gamu's family submitted an application to stay in the UK in August, and according to the UK Border Agency, the process can take a couple of months which certainly calls into question whether or not Gamu would have had to leave mid-contest. However, based on that knowledge, it might have been far kinder to drop her from the show much earlier than they did.

To make matters worse for Gamu, reports today suggested that she is not Cheryl's X Factor wild card choice. Instead, Treyc Cohen is tipped to take the spot. Showbiz reporter Dan Wooton tweeted, "Gamu is not Cheryl's wildcard. I'm told Cheryl was put under pressure by X Factor producers not to put her through, so don't blame her... Now, why Cheryl was asked not to put Gamu through is another question altogether."

Wooton's tweet could give the impression that he is either unaware or disbelieving about whether Gamu's visa was the real problem - but whatever the reason is, it's not looking good for Gamu Nhengu.

Sources:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv-entertainment/x-factor/2010/10/05/x-factor-final-12-cheryl-cole-ordered-to-axe-gamu-over-visa-fears-115875-22609614/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1317762/X-FACTOR-2010-Cheryl-Cole-racism-row-Gamu-Nhengu-booted-out.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/s103/the-x-factor/news/a280327/former-co-worker-blasts-x-factor-katie.html