He has endured many stories about how he is a diva backstage and how the rest of the cast and crew at the X Factor don’t like him, but now another horrifying story about Christopher Maloney’s past has come out of the woodwork.

Janette Gailbrath, who worked with Maloney on a cruise ship during his cabaret days has come forward with the claim that the Liverpudlian once tried to strangle her whilst they were working together.

Gailbrath claims that they initially got on well working together but Maloney soon started to blame her if something went wrong with his performance.

She told the Sunday Mirror: "Living on a cruise liner can be very claustrophobic - and living with Christopher became a nightmare."

She alleges that he snapped after she told him that no one on the ship liked him saying: "His face totally changed. It was like he was someone else. His eyes started to burn red and he began shouting. He lunged towards me and grabbed me around the throat. I screamed and tried to get him off.

"Somehow I managed to get loose and ran out of the cabin, crying. I cried for hours that night."

Maloney later apparently lost the job after drinking in front of passengers on the ship.

He strongly denies either allegation though it remains to be seen whether the public will believe him and whether it may affect his place on the show.

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