Too Black: X Factor's Hannah Barrett Targeted by Racists - Who are Black

X Factor finalist Hannah Barrett has been targeted by racist trolls on Twitter since finding fame on the ITV Talent show.

The 17-year-old, who recently revealed her troubled upbringing, said that she was bombarded with intense racist abuse from users who claimed that her skin was too dark.

Users of the social networking site claimed that Barrett would struggle to become a successful artist because she is "black and ugly".

"I've received a lot racist comments on Twitter. People say I'm too dark to be a singer and there have been lots of references to how dark my skin is. People say, 'You're black and ugly' and nasty things like that," she told Reveal magazine.

Surprisingly, she revealed that many of the negative comments came from the black community.

She said: "The sad thing is that most of them are made by black people who just have lighter skin than me."

In an effort to protect her girls, mentor Nicole Scherzinger has warned them to avoid Twitter and Facebook wherever possible and to ignore the negativity if they can.

Barrett said: "I'm just like, 'Whatever': I know they are talking rubbish. I don't go on Twitter now. I have it but I don't go onto it unless I have a DM or to thank fans. I'm always signing in and then signing out."

Despite the abuse, the former Greggs employee insists that she feels "really blessed" to be on The X Factor.

"This time last year I was working in Greggs ... now I'm living in a £5m house with amazing people, going to photoshoots and interviews and singing at the weekend."

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