“The X Factor New Zealand” is rigged, according to a YouTube vlogger. Brad Fisher attended an audition of the reality competition show in Auckland, and he observed that the judges – Melanie Blatt, Stan Walker, Natalia Kills and Willy Moon – didn’t really have a say who should pass the audition, and everyone would just agree with what their producer said.

In his four-minute clip titled “The Truth About The X Factor NZ,” the 18-year-old video blogger revealed how one producer manipulated the results in the audition show. According to Fisher, contestants with sad enough story were more likely to get through than those without.

Also, the judges weren’t the ones who really decide who would go through the round. Fisher claims he saw a producer seated near the judges, and he had been telling the judges whom to approve or reject.

“The judges don’t really have a choice whether the people would get through or not. There’s someone called the producer telling them if someone gets through or someone doesn’t get through,” he alleges in the video, adding that he was seated just to the right of the judges’ panel.

As he observed during the audition, the said producer would do hand gestures to the judges to inform them of what they would do. Certain hand gestures ordered the judges to halt a contestant’s audition immediately or let a performer do her entire number. The producer would also tell inconspicuously the judges if they should let a contestant through by giving them a nod or a thumbs up or down. When the producer sent them a particular hand gesture, it would mean that the judges would have to split their votes.

There was also an incident when the producer signalled to Walker to ask a contestant about her family in the backstage. The scene had been a good “sob story,” which would perhaps make it on air.

“This sort of stuff is rigged. Don’t go to one of these competitions if you want to show them how good your vocal performances, only go if you have a good sob story, because in reality, that’s what’s gonna make you through. There’s one man controlling you, you need a sob story,” Fisher advised viewers, clarifying he was only reporting what he saw.

“The X Factor NZ” co-exec producer Andrew Szusterman denied Fisher’s claims, saying that all TV productions have producers who must keep in close contact with their on-screen talent at all times to make the production run smoothly.

“The judging panel are all music industry professionals, who as part of the series will be charged with mentoring the successful contestants, and it is up to them as to who proceeds through the competition,” Szusterman told Radio NZ.

The second season of the TV3 reality music competition show will premiere in 2015.