Wait, what? Gifty claims she knew the result BEFORE announcement

Adding fuel to the rumours that this year's X Factor has been a fix from start to finish, the latest contestant to leave the show has revealed she had been told her time was up 24 hours before the announcement was made.

Gifty, who lost out to girl band Four of Diamonds on Sunday night, sounded pretty resigned while being interviewed in the aftermath of her departure, and even suggested that there's more to the show than meets the eye.

While viewers and fans of the show were left reeling by the 20-year-old's departure. the aspiring star seemed less stunned and admitted that the result didn't come as a surprise.

During an interview with On Demand Entertainment, the former contestant said: "Oh I knew I was going home, I got told I was going home on the Saturday night, so I knew.”

And yet in spite of this shocking claim, Gifty played down fix rumours, saying: "When it comes to the whole fix allegations I don’t know I can’t say anything, I’m not the producer."

"I feel like the show is what you make of it," she continued. "We just perform and we just have to be great and hope people vote for us."

Gifty's departure was the subject of intense criticism after her own mentor, Simon Cowell, opted to vote her off the show in error – a gaffe for which he has since apologised.

"It was embarrassing and humiliating! That's the nature of live TV but it was horrible," he said. "People should have voted for her that's the way it goes."

Gifty's remarks come after reports that Honey G is being given the royal treatment behind the scenes.