Milo Pope
Published February 3, 2026 4:57pm
Updated February 3, 2026 4:59pm
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Chico Slimani finished in fifth place on the 2005 series of The X Factor (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
X Factor legend Chico Slimani has revealed how he was ‘conned’ in a Dubai investment scam which saw him lose ‘everything’.
The 54-year-old entertainer-turned-wellness guru reached the quarter-finals of the ITV reality show in 2005.
Mentored by Sharon Osbourne on the singing competition, he later enjoyed a short-lived music career, scoring a number one single in the UK charts with It’s Chico Time.
However, following his third single, which was by his own admission a ‘flop’, the 54-year-old made an investment in the Middle East that ended up collapsing.
Speaking to the Sun, he discussed how in 2014 he and his friends ‘invested lots of money’ in his a business in Dubai.
‘Unfortunately we got conned and we lost everything,’ he said. ‘And then it was a case of like, “okay, you’ve obviously got a bigger plan for me type of thing”. I always thought, all right, that wasn’t meant to be.’
The former entertainer switched his career to become a wellness guru (Picture: Ken McKay/Shutterstock)
In 2014 he said he lost ‘everything’ after a Dubai investment scam (Picture: Ken McKay/Shutterstock)
Despite the botched investment, the experience led to Chico creating his successful BlockFit programme that was picked up by Bannatyne’s Health Clubs.
On top of that, he is also at the helm of several wellness retreats in Morocco and Portugal.
He continued: ‘It was a natural transition because I’ve been in the health and fitness industry all my life really at one time or another. As I was younger, I was into martial arts and I wanted to do natural bodybuilding. And then after that, it was always about looking after your health.
‘It’s about getting the right knowledge as to how your body works, how your mind works, and how you can become the best version of yourself.’
The former singer also explained how BlockFit mixes ‘dance, combat, hit yoga and meditation to original music’.
After the coronavirus pandemic hit, Chico said that he then channeled his energy into helping people struggling with depression and anxiety.
‘I call it your doctor, therapist, spiritual master all in one,’ he claimed.
The Welsh singer first soared to fame nearly 20 years ago on The X Factor (Picture: Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock)
Since his time on the show, he claimed that it ‘uses and abuses’ stars (Picture: Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock)
Earlier this year, the former performer also self-published a book, THE SECRET 19: Cancer Questions Worth.
This came after he claimed in 2021 that The X Factor ‘uses and abuses’ stars.
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Speaking on Late Night with Cristo on talkRADIO. Chico said: ‘It gave me the chance to earn a good living, I’ve been around the country entertaining the masses, so much has come from that.
‘I can’t complain because I again, I knew what it was, they use you, or abuse you, and you use that platform to go on.’
He added: ‘They don’t care about you. You’re a commodity; you are as good as the money you’re going to make them. That is it.
‘You are completely replaceable and as I said it’s a conveyor belt. if you’re not going to do it, someone else will take your place to do it.’
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