Frankie Cocozza drops the F-word on live show

X Factor apology after Frankie Cocozza drops the F-word on live show

The X Factor was forced to apologise after heartthrob contestant Frankie Cocozza swore on the live broadcast well before the 9pm watershed.

The teenage wannabe uttered the expletive towards the end of Sunday night’s results show when he was told he was through to another week in the ITV talent competition.

As Sami Brookes and Kitty Brucknell were left in the bottom two, tousle-haired Cocozza, 18, jumped around the stage before embracing his mentor, Gary Barlow, and yelling: ‘F*****g have it, get in there.’

Although his language was picked up by fans across the Internet and on Twitter, there was no apology from host Dermot O’Leary or from the ITV announcer following the live one-hour show which finished at 9pm.

The student from Brighton, who has flaunted tattoos of his alleged conquests etched on his bottom, later gave a grudging apology for his outburst on the ITV2 spin-off show the Xtra Factor.

He said ‘sorry’ when reminded of his swearing by the show’s host Olly Murs.

An X Factor spokeswoman told the Daily Mail: ‘Emotions were running high during the live show and we apologise if any potentially offensive language was audible.

Relief: The 18-year-old was clearly thrilled after being voted through to next week’s show 

An ITV source said Cocozza, whose wild antics which include late-night partying during the show’s run, will be given a stern warning for his language.

According to ITV sources, the broadcaster did not make an immediate on-air apology because bosses thought the swearing wasn’t clearly audible.

Rude gesture: Cocozza also stuck his finger up at cameras during a VT on Saturday night’s episode 

But by yesterday afternoon ITV had received 20 complaints about the swearing.

Cocozza had already come under fire for a lacklustre performance of Primal Scream’s Get Your Rocks Off on Saturday’s rock-themed show.

Lily Allen was among those criticising his performance. She wrote: “Oh God Frankie Cocozza, noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.’

But the youngster thanked the audience for booing him, saying: ‘Thank-you for the boos, it’s going to make me do better.’