X Factor star Wagner fears he’ll be assassinated after receiving death threats amid Putin confusion
X Factor's Wagner has revealed he's been sent death threats by Vladimir Putin's forces.
If you were wondering what happened to Wagner - who rose to fame from the seventh series of ITV talent contest The X Factor in 2010 - he's been carrying on with his music, while also reportedly being targeted by Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces.
Yes, Wagner - real name Wagner Fiuza-Carrilho - from The X Factor has allegedly been swept up in Putin's war on Ukraine.
The 66-year-old singer claims he's received death threats from Putin's forces and it's all a case of mistaken identity.
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Fearing for his life, Wagner has since decided to address Putin and try to put an end to the threats.
Wagner claims he's been sent death threats by Putin's forces because he's been wrongly associated with the Wagner Group - a de facto private army of Putin's former close ally Yevgeny Prigozhin which has been rebelling against the Kremlin's regime.
The musician says he's had messages sent to him warning he and his 'troops [...] are going to be assassinated and castrated' - messages which began after he appeared in headlines for deleting his OnlyFans account just four days after creating it.
He tells the Sun: "I have noticed changes on my phone and other devices, and the Kremlin must be hacking me.
"I can’t explain it any other way - this is the first time this has ever happened to me.
"I am worried about my website being hacked or taken down as it’s very important for me to entertain my fans across the UK, and I won’t let this happen."
Wagner stresses he wants Putin to know he has 'nothing to do with the Wagner mercenary group'.
However, he notes: "But I am on the side of the Ukrainian people, and my heart goes out to those suffering in this catastrophic war."
The X Factor star adds he's even set to change his appearance to make sure he's not recognised by any of Putin's forces.
He says: "I am also thinking about changing my image - I’m going back to my original Wagner moustache from the X Factor days, so Putin doesn’t recognise me."
But if Russian spies do find him? Well, Wagner is prepared.
He resolves: "I am a black belt in karate and I will use my martial arts to take on and defeat any Russian assassins.
"I am ready for them. I have my swords and my training if they decide to come for me."
Topics: X Factor, TV and Film, Celebrity, Russia, Vladimir Putin
Poppy Bilderbeck