Cher Lloyd reveals label told her to hook up with Justin Bieber to boost career

Cher Lloyd has made shocking claims about her time in the music industry, alleging that she was pressured by her record label to pursue Justin Bieber for publicity while promoting her album in the U.S. The former X Factor star, who was a teenager at the time, shared the revelation during an interview on the We Need To Talk podcast.

Lloyd, now 31, recalled being denied a promotional budget for her album despite the label investing millions into it. Instead, she was told to "hit some of the clubs, find out where Bieber is, and try to get with him" to boost her career. She described the experience as "bizarre, crazy, horrendous", especially since her then-fiancé (now husband) Craig Monk was present in the room when the suggestion was made.

The singer, who rose to fame on The X Factor in 2010, also revealed that she was advised to hide her upcoming marriage, as the label believed being off the market would hurt her appeal. Lloyd questioned why she wasn’t considered “good enough to invest in” as an artist without resorting to publicity stunts, adding, "I had no intention of leeching onto male singers to try and gain a career."

Lloyd is the latest former X Factor contestant to criticize the show’s treatment of young artists. She previously spoke about the mental health toll of being “painted as a villain”, revealing that she was prescribed antidepressants at 16 while competing. Now, she is preparing for a music comeback, over a decade after her last album, and is finally speaking out about the darker side of the industry.