Mother's bullying fears for X Factor's Katie Waissel

Katie Waissel's mother says the X Factor star is being bullied and has told of her fears that her daughter will be pushed off the show.

The 24-year-old received flak after getting through to the live finals at the expense of Gamu Nhengu, who is facing deportation.

She was surrounded by more controversy when judges decided to save the quirky singer from the boot instead of boyband FYD.

Last year, some of the show's fans turned on talented singer Danyl Johnson, and Katie's mother Diana said she did not want the same thing happening to her daughter.

She told The Sun: "There seems to be this thing that Katie has got someone else's place. I don't know why everyone is blaming her. It happened last year in a way to Danyl and he was a good singer and he was a nice guy and he was pushed out."

Diana, who runs a clothes shop in north west London, added: "I don't want that to happen to Katie. She is a team player and a lovely girl. She has a very supportive family. We don't like all these bullying tactics."

She said: "I want the British public to get behind her and give her a chance."

A source also told the newspaper that Katie got the second lowest vote on the show, after Nicolo Festa who was automatically kicked out.

Katie and FYD had to perform again for the judges to decide who stayed.

Louis Walsh, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole put Cole's act Waissel through, while Simon Cowell backed his own act, FYD.

The judges' decision to save Katie from the boot divided fans of the TV talent show.

On the Digital Spy internet forum, a viewer, Captain Angel, wrote: "No should have gone to deadlock - let the public decide..."

Another, jlay, wrote: "Louis and Danni bottled it."

Others disagreed, with Lyricalis writing: "The group were pretty awful and Katie sung her heart out. She still wasn't brilliant, but far better than the group."