Katie Waissel

In mid-to-late 2009, Waissel starred in an interactive, online reality show Green Eyed World, sponsored by Sprite. The show focused on her journey in the US and Europe in hopes of a record label in 14 episodes of roughly 5 minutes in length each. Sprite experimented with the world's first YouTube/Facebook digital connection.

During her time on the show, Waissel shot a music video for her song "Live and Learn", and released a five-track EP, Songs from Under the Covers under "KatieVRecords". A song recorded at the time, a duet with The Private Life of David Reed "Moving Mountains", later appeared on their self-titled album during her time on The X Factor under the alias "Lola Fontaine". Waissel has been on tour with East 17 and Andy Abraham[2] Sometime after the show, Waissel performed in Hollywood for Paris Hilton together with friend and fellow contestant X Factor Storm Lee.[3]

Before auditioning for The X Factor, Waissel had worked as a receptionist, waitress and once worked at OK! magazine.[4] At her audition, she wanted to sing "At Last" by Etta James, but Simon made her pick another song before she even started singing. Eventually, after failing to remember "We are the Champions," she was allowed to sing her original song. She then sang "At Last" by Etta James, and was put through to bootcamp by Cheryl and Simon Cowell. At bootcamp, she sang "Make You Feel My Love" and reacted with shock when she was the first girl put through to the judges houses. She fell to pieces when performing the song "Smile" in front of Cheryl and will.i.am at the judges' houses stage, and had to stop to compose herself after crying, stating that "it's an emotional song for me".< Despite stumbling through her song for the second time, Cheryl picked her as one of her final three girls.

In week 1 of the live shows, she sang "We Are the Champions". She was put in the bottom three as a result of the public vote, but because Nicolo Festa polled the fewest votes, Waissel had to sing in the final showdown with F.Y.D., the other bottom three act from week 1. She sang "Don't Let Me Down" in the final showdown and was saved from elimination by the judges by a majority vote, with only Cowell (F.Y.D.'s mentor) voting against her while Cole, Dannii Minogue and Louis Walsh voted to save Waissel. Voting statistics revealed that F.Y.D. received more votes than Waissel meaning if Walsh sent the result to deadlock, F.Y.D. would’ve been saved. In the second week of the live shows, Katie sang "I'd Rather Go Blind". She managed to avoid the bottom three this week and secured a place to the third week, where she sang "I Wan'na Be Like You". In the fourth week she sang "Bewitched" and was in the final showdown with Belle Amie. The result went to deadlock this time, but Waissel was announced as safe when it was revealed that Belle Amie had the fewest votes. She was in the final showdown again the next week after performing "Don't Speak" but was saved by a majority vote over Treyc Cohen when Cole refused to vote against either acts of hers but wanted to vote last to send the result to deadlock but wasn't allowed to. Cowell and Walsh voted to eliminate Cohen and only Minogue voted to eliminate Waissel. Voting statistics revealed that Cohen received more votes than Waissel meaning if Cole was allowed to send the result to deadlock, Cohen would have been saved.

Waissel was in the final showdown for a third successive week when she sang "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", and this had been the fourth time Waissel had been in the final showdown. The result went to deadlock, but the public vote showed Aiden Grimshaw received fewer votes and he was eliminated. This was the first time in the show's history that a contestant was put into the final showdown four times and survived. In the quarter-final, she performed "Sex on Fire" and "Everybody Hurts". In the series' third double elimination, Waissel received the fewest votes and was automatically eliminated.

Waissel performed the following songs on The X Factor:

Shortly before her elimination, it was revealed Jay-Z had an interest in signing Waissel and fellow X Factor contestant Cher Lloyd to his label, Takeover Roc Nation. These plans did not materialise.[5] On 17 March 2012 Waissel released her self-titled debut album on Chamberlain Records, which consists of recordings from her time on Green Eyed World. The song "The Ugly Truth" was used to promote the album – she performed the song on The Alan Titchmarsh Show, The Late Late Show, and embarked on a short shopping mall tour – although it was not released as a single. In June 2011, Waissel announced she is currently working on another album, and promised it will be a "dirty, sexy, rock 'n' roll" album.[6] In July, she revealed her new band, called "Red Velvet Lovers", and according to Waissel are a "proper band".[7]

In May 2013, Red Velvet released their first song for free download, entitled "I'm Fine", about Waissel's failed marriage to Alphonso, adding a message on her Twitter page thanking her fans for their support.[8] Three more songs, "F*ck You", "High Fashion", and "Say It", were released for free download in June.

Katie Waissel competed in Celebrity Big Brother 18. She received one nomination in the first week from Chloe Khan, after Katie cried when Khan made a comment about Amy Winehouse. This was not enough to make her face the public vote. In week 1, Waissel nominated Grant Bovey and James Whale.[9] Fellow Housemate, Christopher Biggins, was removed from the House on Day 9, after he made offensive comments about bisexual people and a racist joke towards Waissel, who is Jewish, about the Holocaust.[10] In the second week, Katie received one nomination, this time from Saira Khan (no relation to Chloe). Saira felt like she had not spoken to Waissel much, as Waissel was stuck in a different group. In week 2, Waissel nominated Saira and Heavy D. Saira was evicted later that week. On Day 13, Waissel and fellow Housemates, Ricky Norwood, Aubrey O'Day, James Whale, Samantha Fox and Frankie Grande, threatened to walk out, after the antics of Lewis Bloor, Chloe Khan, Stephen Bear and Marnie Simpson got too much. In Week 3, Waissel clashed massively with Colin Newell (Heavy D), after he questioned her celebrity status and made a mess in the kitchen. He was evicted on Day 20.

On Day 23, Waissel nominated Ricky Norwood and James Whale, with her and Renee Graziano being the only housemates with no nominations that time. With Lewis Bloor and James Whale leaving in Week 3, Katie became one of the 8 housemates to make it to the final week. On Day 25, Waissel received 2 nominations (from Frankie Grande and Ricky Norwood) and she gave her one nomination to Grande. Anyone who got a nomination was put up for eviction this week, so Waissel, Grande, Norwood, Samantha Fox, Marnie Simpson and eternally nominated Stephen Bear faced the public vote. Waissel had a meltdown late in Day 25 and threatened to walk. She decided to stay though. On Day 27, Waissel received the fewest votes to save and was evicted from the house in eighth place, along with Samantha Fox in seventh place, leaving Frankie Grande, Aubrey O'Day, Renee Graziano, Ricky Norwood, Marnie Simpson and Stephen Bear battling for the crown. Bear won.

Other television appearances

Waissel made two appearances in Vanderpump Rules as herself in Series 4 Episode 1 at Scheana Shay's decade themed 30th birthday party, alongside Kristen Doute. Secondly in Episode 10, where it showed her in her real life role as an office manager of a tattoo removal company in Los Angeles.

^ a "Moving Mountains" was later also included on Waissel's self-titled album, as "Katie Waissel feat. David Reed".