 During his initial audition , Johnston claimed that he was bullied and victimised from the age of six because of his singing . When asked how he dealt with the issue , he stated " I carry on singing . " There were claims in the Daily Mail , a UK @-@ based tabloid newspaper , that the programme 's producers had deliberately overstated the extent of Johnston 's bullying as a " sob story " , suggesting that sympathy rather than his singing got him many of the votes . However , in The Times , Johnston 's success story was described as " the stuff of fairytales " , as he was successful despite having been raised in " poverty " . Johnston said he did not talk about being bullied because he was told to do so by producers , but " because I believed it would help people who were going through what I had gone through be stronger " . Johnston has subsequently visited schools and elsewhere to help other victims of bullying . He said " I want to use my experience of bullies to help other kids " . 
 During his initial audition , Johnston claimed that he was bullied and victimised from the age of six because of his singing . When asked how he dealt with the issue , he stated " I carry on singing . " <a href='dey_it' title='1'><mark>There</mark></a> <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> claims in the Daily Mail , a UK @-@ based tabloid newspaper , that the programme <a href='null_genetive' title='3'><mark>'s</mark></a>producers <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>had</mark></a> deliberately overstated the extent of Johnston <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>bullying as a " sob story " , suggesting that sympathy rather than his singing got him many of the votes . However , in The Times , Johnston <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>success story was described as " the stuff of fairytales " , as he was successful despite <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>having</mark></a> been raised in " poverty " . Johnston said he did not talk about being bullied because he was told to do so by producers , but " because I believed it would help people <a href='null_relcl' title='8'><mark>who</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='9'><mark>were</mark></a> going through what I <a href='been_done' title='10'><mark>had</mark></a> gone through be stronger " . Johnston <a href='been_done' title='11'><mark>has</mark></a> subsequently visited schools and elsewhere to help other victims of bullying . He said " I want to use my experience of bullies to help other kids " . 
During his initial audition , Johnston claimed dat he was bullied and victimised from da age of six because of his singing . When asked how he dealt with the issue , he stated " I carry on singing . " It was claims in the Daily Mail , a UK @-@ based tabloid newspaper , that the programme  producers done deliberately overstated the extent of Johnston  bullying as a " sob story " , suggesting that sympathy rather than his singing got em many of tdavotes . However , in The Times , Johnston  success story was described as " the shxt of fairytales " , as he was successful despite done been raised in " poverty " . Johnston said he did not talk about being bullied because he was told to do so by producers , but " because I believed it would help people was going through wht I done gone through be stronger " . Johnston done subsequently visited schools and elsewhere to help other victims of bullying . He said " I want to use my experience of bullies to help other kids " .