X Factor contestant's foul-mouthed rant shocks judges (+video)

A contestant on The X Factor stunned judges with an aggressive, expletive-laden rant after being eliminated from the UK reality show.

Pink impersonator Zoe Alexander received the thumbs down from the show's four judges - Nicole Scherzinger, Tulisa Contostavlos, Gary Barlow and Louis Walsh - after performing two songs during a new episode that aired in the UK over the weekend.

The judges told her she should try to find her own identity rather than pretending to be Pink and told her she wouldn't be advancing past the auditions.

But an increasingly angry Alexander fired back, saying she had been told by them to perform the song So What from the US pop star.

She threw the microphone down and stormed from the stage before returning with her dad in tow and unleashing a censored, expletive-filled tirade at the show's shocked judges.

Alexander stomped off the stage again and can be seen hitting out at a nearby camera.

The Daily Mail reported Alexander was arrested and cautioned for hitting a producer after the audition.

"Inappropriate," said Sherzinger afterwards. "We gave her a second song."

Alexander told the Sunday Mirror the show's producers set out to "make a total and utter fool" out of her, but officials said contestants chose their own songs, the Daily Mail reported.

TV3 is working on a New Zealand version of The X Factor.

- Herald online