X Factor Celebrity star Martin Bashir says ‘sneering’ BBC colleagues left him humiliated over talent show appearance

Martin Bashir said his appearance on The X Factor: Celebrity has been “humiliating”, with some of his BBC colleagues calling him an “idiot”.

The journalist has made it through to the third week of live shows on the talent competition spin-off, which sees celebrities singing to impress the judges.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the BBC's religion editor said: “It has been humiliating. Some of my colleagues at the BBC have sneered a bit and said, 'Oh you look like an idiot, what an embarrassment.’

"I feel that I have tried something new, I do feel as though I’ve made some progress, not a lot.”

Bashir, who forgot the lyrics of his song mid-performance last weekend, added: “The most famous part of my body is the back of my head, and to be full face and after 36-years of radio and television and never forgotten my lines, to do that was just terrible.

“That’s what a lot of people said, I was an idiot for doing it, and I probably proved them right.”

Bashir had been singing a reggae-remix of Lionel Richie’s “Easy” when he forgot his lyrics. “I’m so sorry,” he told the audience after a few seconds of silence. “I’ve forgotten my words.”