Jingle Ball scrapped amid boycott claims over X Factor ‘bully’ Misha B

A CHRISTMAS pop concert to be headlined by controversial X Factor contestant Misha B has been cancelled amid claims a major boycott was being threatened.

Radio station Forth One’s Jingle Ball X Factor Special was to take place at the Liquid Room in Victoria Street on Thursday, but was called off with just three days’ notice.

A message on the station’s website said only that the event had been cancelled due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

But Liquid Room manager John McWilliams said he had been told the decision was taken because of an “adverse reaction” to the news that X Factor contestant Misha B – who was voted off at the weekend – was to perform.

The 19-year-old Mancunian singer found herself at the centre of controversy after she was accused of bullying other contestants on the hit TV show.

Judge Tulisa Contostavlos claimed live on air that Misha had been “mean” to other contestants backstage, with fellow judge Louis Walsh making similar allegations.

Mr McWilliams said: “The event was called off because of an adverse reaction to Misha B because of her bullying ways.

“I got a phone call from Forth One to say that Facebook was inundated with people saying they would boycott it because of Misha B’s bullying ways.

“I don’t particularly like Misha B anyway – there’s a certain aura about the girl.”

But a spokesman for Misha B said she had been unable to perform due to other commitments in London for X Factor.

The radio station had announced that this year’s Jingle Ball would see a performance by the fourth-place runner-up in the TV talent contest and on Sunday night ticket holders waited to find out if they would be going to see Misha B, Marcus Collins, Little Mix or Amelia Lily.

Less than 24 hours after the station had announced Misha B would appear, the event, which cost £16 per ticket, had been cancelled.

News that the singer was to perform was greeted with negative comments on the station’s Facebook page.

One poster said: “Was going 2 go but I’ll give it a miss as don’t like bullies”, while another suggested ticket sales would fall because of her appearance.

A statement on the Radio Forth website read: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, 97.3 Forth One has had to cancel ‘Jingle Ball 2011’ that was due to be held at the Liquid Room this Thursday.

“If you have bought a ticket, a full refund will be available from your point of sale.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Forth One events manager Richard Jeffrey declined to comment further on the decision.

The Junior Jingle Ball at the City Nightclub on December 16 is unaffected.