X Factor Katie Waissel's sister defends her against 'cyber-bullying'

X Factor contestant Katie Waissel has been the victim of a cyber-bullying campaign, her sister Natalie said today.

She believes the 24-year-old singer, from Pinner, has found herself in the bottom two of the competition for the previous three weeks because of anonymous snipers attacking her on Facebook and Twitter.

Natalie, 27, told the Standard: "As an artist she is going to have people who like her and people who don't like her. All this Facebook and Twitter bullying that has been going on — it's all done anonymously. People are a lot meaner when they can hide behind anonymity."

Katie was saved at the weekend when judge Cheryl Cole refused to vote for her or Treyc when they both finished in the bottom two. It has led to allegations of rigging, with Treyc's father Fitzgerald calling the show "a fix".

Natalie, who works at a clothes shop owned by her mother Diana, added: "Obviously Treyc and her dad have released statements that they genuinely think it's a fix. I can understand why Treyc was upset."